The conversation about Turkish knitwear in the US market is often colored by supplier marketing that overstates trade advantages. The honest picture is more nuanced — and actually more interesting. Turkey is not the cheapest knitwear source for the US market, it doesn't have a free trade agreement with the US, and MFN tariffs apply to Turkish goods just as they do to most countries. What Turkey does have, in 2026, is a clear quality-segment story that's genuinely relevant to a specific type of US buyer.

Kiwi Giyim flat-knit manufacturing — Tekstilkent, Gaziantep, Turkey — 22 flat-knit machines (15 Shima Seiki, 7 Stoll CMS) — in-house production in Tekstilkent industrial zone

The Trade Facts

Turkey's Position in US Knitwear Imports

Turkey consistently ranks among the top sources of knit apparel to the US, typically in the top 10 by value, behind China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and a few others. It is not the dominant source — China and Southeast Asia far exceed Turkey in volume. Turkey's US knitwear exports are concentrated in higher-value categories, particularly wool and specialty fiber knits, where price-per-unit is higher than commodity cotton basics.

MFN Tariff Rates — The Honest Number

There is no US-Turkey free trade agreement. Turkish knitwear enters the US at MFN (Most Favored Nation) rates, which apply to most WTO member countries. For knit apparel under HS Chapter 61, MFN rates vary by fiber and garment type: wool sweaters (6110.11–6110.19) are typically around 16%; cotton knit tops (6110.20) around 12%; man-made fiber knits (6110.30) around 28–32%. These are the same rates applied to most non-FTA countries. Verify the specific rate for your HS code before budgeting landed cost.

Section 301 Tariffs Apply to China, Not Turkey

The Section 301 tariffs — originally imposed under USTR authority at 25–100%+ on Chinese goods — apply specifically to goods of Chinese origin. They do not apply to Turkish goods. This is the most significant trade-policy reason US brands are reconsidering Chinese knitwear sourcing: a brand that moves from Chinese to Turkish production eliminates the Section 301 surcharge on top of the base MFN rate. The math is material for brands that were paying 25%+ additional tariff on China-origin knits.

Turkey Has No FTA Advantage vs China for US Market

It's worth stating plainly: Turkey does not have a preferential tariff with the US. If China had no Section 301 tariffs, Turkish goods would face higher landed cost than equivalent Chinese goods for a US buyer — because Turkey pays MFN and China historically paid MFN minus Section 301 doesn't exist. The Section 301 environment has changed that math materially, but Turkey should not be sold as a "tariff-advantaged" source for the US in the way it is for the EU market (where Turkey has the Customs Union advantage).

Why Quality-Segment US Brands Are Looking at Turkey

The sourcing shift is not primarily about tariffs — it's about quality positioning and supply chain risk. US brands in the premium and contemporary segments have three motivations: compliance risk reduction (UFLPA enforcement means China-origin knits face detainment risk if supply chain documentation is insufficient; Turkish-origin goods don't face UFLPA); quality differentiation (EU-calibrated flat-knit factories produce at a quality level that Chinese volume factories typically don't — different machine investment, different operator skill); and brand narrative (non-Xinjiang fiber, documented supply chain, smaller ecological footprint at 250-piece MOQs versus minimum 1,000 units in China). These are real reasons; the tariff angle is secondary.

What This Means for US Brands in 2026

The practical picture in 2026: for premium knitwear (wool, cashmere, merino, technical fiber), Turkish production is competitive on total landed cost once Section 301 is removed from the China side of the comparison. The quality outcome at comparable fiber specs is typically better from Turkey. Lead times are longer than from Southeast Asia but shorter than from China during Port congestion periods. The UFLPA compliance story is cleaner. For commodity-priced basics at high volume, China remains more cost-effective. The decision framework is: what is the price point, what is the compliance risk tolerance, and does the quality premium justify the manufacturing choice? For a meaningful segment of US brands, the answer increasingly points toward Turkey — but for clear reasons, not inflated ones.

Turkish Knitwear Exports to the US: 2026 Trade Landscape