What’s The Difference Between Made In China Vs Made In USA? Let’s Find Out

More products than you would like to believe are manufactured in China. It has become the manufacturer of the world with diverse capabilities ranging from garments to heavy machinery. Thanks to the availability of cheap, skilled labor and government infrastructure, China has become a powerhouse of manufacturing.

However, this superpower has come with an Achilles heel, which is, “Chinese goods are not good quality, because they’re cheap.” In comparison, a US-made product is considered very high quality because of the premium price tag it attracts. So, what’s the truth? Is US garment manufacturing truly that much better than Chinese manufacturing? Let’s explore the facts without the geopolitics in this piece.

What’s The Difference Between Chinese Garment Manufacturing & US Garment Manufacturing?

Per Unit Cost & Production Capabilities

Simply put, the per-unit production cost of garments is higher in the US than in China. Now, that’s both a bad and a good thing for all the reasons listed below. But to summarize, it generally comes down to the availability of affordable skilled labour in China. The skills of the individual laborers compared between these two locations would be the same. However, the currency conversion favors China, which leads to a lower per-unit cost of manufacturing.

In terms of production capabilities, Chinese manufacturers excel in bulk manufacturing with minimal customizations or alterations from their existing designs. US manufacturers, in comparison, offer more customization and alterations to their designs, which makes them great for specialized garment manufacturing. Production capabilities are better in the US only in terms of having better customization. However, US production units struggle with bulk orders and generally have smaller production batches.

Supply Chain & Delivery Timelines

The supply chain is one of the best areas of benefit for US manufacturers. Given that the US enjoys favorable trade relations with most countries and shipping internationally is easily available in the US, the supply chain favors US manufacturers. They have shorter production runs, which means fewer backlogs and quicker turnaround time for orders, compared to Chinese manufacturers. Due to these factors, the delivery timelines are better when you choose US manufacturers, even if it means a higher per-unit cost.

Chinese manufacturers can manufacture in bulk, which requires a lot of time and effort to ship across continents, leading to longer wait times and supply chain strains. There are many times when garment importers in the US have to wait months for their orders to be completed and arrive in the US when they order from China. This can be a problem, especially for fast fashion, where trends often don’t last as long as a few months.

Eco-Friendliness & Ethical Manufacturing

Eco-friendly garment manufacturing technology is equally available at both US and Chinese manufacturing houses. However, sometimes technologically advanced fabric and textile need to be imported from China, regardless of whether you’re choosing to manufacture in the US or anywhere in the world. This is because China has scaled its manufacturing potential and offers a great pricing advantage for bulk purchases.

That said, there are serious concerns about the ethical treatment of skilled labor in Chinese manufacturing units. The headlines like child labor is used to manufacture Nike shoes have sensationalized the world since they have been brought to light. More such stories have come to light for years after that. This has led to concerns about the treatment of workers in China.

Innovation & Market Research

Both Chinese and US manufacturers work on innovation and market research. However, Chinese manufacturers are seeing a shift towards only high-end garments and apparel manufacturing. This is mainly because other Southeast Asian countries are improving their production capabilities and becoming hubs for fast fashion manufacturing. So, moving forward, finding the right price advantage from Chinese manufacturers may be difficult for buyers.

In terms of innovation and market research, US manufacturers spend a lot of money to create breakthroughs in terms of technology. In this regard, there is a better academic infrastructure in the US that allows for innovations to come out of academic universities, which are then tested and launched in the market easily.

Trade & Geopolitical Factors

The US is a trade giant with one of the strongest currencies in the world. They define international trade in many ways, as one of the largest importers and markets in the world. The geopolitical leverage held by the US across the world makes it a safe bet for your manufacturing destination. For example, the current pseudo-trade war that’s ongoing between the US and China has affected importers who previously worked with Chinese manufacturers. This needs to be accounted for when understanding the difference between manufacturing in these two countries, even if it has nothing to do with the garments themselves.

Conclusion

The best garment manufacturers depend on your specific goals and requirements. However, the information presented in this piece is expected to help you understand how to compare your options and decide what’s best for your business. One of the problems of Chinese manufacturing is customization. That’s something Indian manufacturers have perfected over the decades. So, if you’re looking for custom clothing manufacturers in India, choose CheerSagar. The team of CheerSagar has decades of experience as a manufacturer and textile export company in India.

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What’s The Difference Between Made In China Vs Made In USA? Let’s Find Out