Sourcing guide · Updated October 2026 · José Olarte, Founder
Tulum Fashions is a swimwear manufacturer in Medellín, Colombia, with a showroom at the California Market Center in Los Angeles. We produce from 150 units per style in 6–8 weeks. For brands moving swimwear production out of China, this guide compares the real options without selling any of them.
The Section 301 forced-labor additional duty of 12.5%, effective July 24, 2026, added to existing MFN and legacy Section 301 tariffs, now puts Chinese apparel at an effective rate of 36–52% entering the US, depending on the HTS code. For swimwear — typically a higher-unit-cost, fashion-driven product — that duty change meaningfully affects landed cost and margin math.
But tariff is not the only reason. Brands are also responding to longer sampling cycles from Asia (3–5 rounds spanning 12–16 weeks), communication delays across a 12+ hour time zone gap, minimum order quantities often starting at 300–600 units per style at Chinese factories that handle swimwear well, and supply chain resilience concerns after pandemic-era disruptions.
The result is genuine demand for alternatives that can do technical swimwear — cup construction, bonded seams, chlorine-resistant nylon-spandex programs — at smaller quantities with faster communication. That is not every country on the list below.
This table covers the main alternatives to Chinese swimwear production for US brands. For Mexico, Portugal, Turkey and Indonesia, the duty situation versus the US is not a single published rate we can confirm at the HTS level for all swimwear categories, so those columns are left qualitative. China and CAFTA-DR rates are definitive; Colombia, Vietnam and India/Bangladesh are from FACTS verified October 2026.
| Origin | US tariff (Oct 2026) | Swimwear capability | Typical MOQ | Production lead time | Time zone vs US East |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 36–52% | Very strong; volume-oriented | 300–1,000+ | 12–16 weeks | +12 to +15 h |
| Colombia | 12.5% | Very strong; long tradition | 150 (Tulum Fashions) | 6–8 weeks | Same (Eastern) |
| CAFTA-DR (Honduras, Guatemala, etc.) | 0% if qualifies | Good for basics; limited technical depth | 300–600+ | 10–14 weeks | Same or −1 h |
| Vietnam | ~29% total typical | Moderate; strong in volume activewear | 300–600 | 10–14 weeks | +11 to +12 h |
| India / Bangladesh | ~26.5% total | Moderate; stronger in wovens and basics | 500–2,000 | 12–16 weeks | +9 to +10 h |
| Portugal | See note | High craftsmanship; EU-focused | Varies widely | 12–16 weeks to US | +5 h |
| Turkey | See note | Strong knitwear; EU-focused | Varies widely | 10–16 weeks to US | +7 h |
| Indonesia / Bali | See note | Good for resort, casualwear niche | Varies widely | 12–16 weeks | +12 h |
Note on Portugal, Turkey and Indonesia/Bali US tariff rates: We do not publish tariff estimates for these countries because the applicable HTS rates for swimwear categories vary meaningfully by fabric content and product type, and we have not confirmed the current effective rates in the same way we have for the other origins above. Ask your customs broker for a landed cost estimate before committing.
Sources: USTR Federal Register Notice July 23, 2026 (Section 301 forced-labor additional duties); CAFTA-DR agreement Chapter 3 (rules of origin); verified October 2026.
Medellín has manufactured swimwear and intimate apparel for over four decades. Colombian mills — Lafayette, Protela and others — produce and stock the technical nylon-spandex and polyester-spandex fabrics that swimwear requires. Pattern makers with deep cup construction experience are concentrated here in a way they are not elsewhere in Latin America. That means a first sample can genuinely look like a finished garment, not a rough prototype.
Tulum Fashions offers full-package production: pattern making, fabric sourcing, sampling, cutting, sewing, finishing, quality control, packing and export. The minimum is 150 units per style, which is lower than most comparable factories in Vietnam or China. Development takes about four weeks; production runs six to eight weeks from an approved sample and deposit. See our women’s swimwear collection for examples of what we make.
The honest caveat: Colombia pays 12.5% duty entering the US. That is real money. Against China’s 36–52%, the Colombia premium is still significantly lower, and at a higher unit value (which swimwear typically is), the per-garment margin impact is smaller than on a $5 T-shirt. But it is not zero, and anyone telling you Colombia is “duty-free” into the US after July 2026 is wrong.
Vietnam has become one of the largest apparel exporters in the world and is strong in activewear, sportswear and basic swimwear at volume. The 2026 Section 301 additional duty of 12.5% now applies to Vietnam too, putting it at roughly 29% total typical (MFN base + new Section 301 levy). The main challenges for US swim brands working with Vietnam are the 11–12 hour time zone gap (it is often the next business day before you get a reply to a technical question), sampling cycles that extend significantly because of communication overhead, and minimum orders that start at 300–600 units for factories with real swimwear capability.
India and Bangladesh are at roughly 26.5% total into the US: the MFN rate plus a Section 301 surcharge of 10% for these two countries. They are dominant in woven apparel, basics and high-volume knit programs. Technical swimwear — cup construction, bonded seams, chlorine resistance — is not where these supply chains are deepest. The time zone gap (9–10 hours) and high minimum orders make them best suited for established brands running large-volume programs, not for brands developing new swimwear collections at 150–500 units per style.
Portugal has a sophisticated textile industry concentrated in the north of the country (Braga, Guimarães, Porto), with strong knitwear and performance fabric capabilities. Portuguese factories tend toward smaller runs and premium quality. They are well positioned for brands that sell primarily into Europe (0% duty under EU–Colombia’s equivalent for EU brands) and want ethical manufacturing credentials. For US-primary brands, the transit time, time zone gap and likely higher unit costs than Colombia or Asia make it less competitive on pure economics, but right for a specific positioning.
Turkey has one of the strongest knitwear industries in the world and can handle technical swimwear. Turkish factories generally have higher MOQs, longer shipping to the US and strong orientation toward the European market. Like Portugal, Turkey is a compelling choice for EU-primary brands, or for brands that can justify the time and logistics overhead against the quality and manufacturing expertise available there.
Indonesia and Bali have a niche in resort wear, casual cover-ups and leisurewear, particularly for brands that want small-batch production with a handcraft aesthetic. Technical swimwear at scale is not the strength here. Lead times to the US are long, and the sourcing infrastructure for performance fabrics is less developed than in Colombia or Vietnam. Best for brands with a lifestyle/resort angle that prioritizes artisanal quality over technical performance.
Honduras and Guatemala are the dominant CAFTA-DR apparel exporters, and the 0% duty for qualifying garments is a real and meaningful advantage — particularly for brands sourcing high volumes of basics. But CAFTA-DR’s 0% requires the yarn-forward rule of origin: yarn spun and fabric knitted or woven in CAFTA-DR or US mills, cut and sewn in a CAFTA-DR country. If the fabric comes from Asia, the garment does not qualify.
For swimwear specifically, the technical nylon-spandex and polyester-spandex fabrics (Lycra-certified, chlorine-resistant) often come from Asian mills. That means many swimwear programs at CAFTA-DR factories would not qualify for 0% without deliberate yarn-forward supply chain management — which is possible, but requires the factory and brand to work together on compliance. Ask specifically, not in passing.
CAFTA-DR countries are excellent for large-volume basic programs and for brands with significant buying power that can drive yarn-forward compliance. For brands developing new swim collections at 150–300 units per style with complex construction, Colombia’s development depth is typically a better fit, even at higher duty. Read our nearshore apparel manufacturing guide for the full comparison, or our nearshoring math post.
For US brands sourcing technical swimwear at 150 to 2,000 units per style, Colombia offers the best combination of capability, communication speed and landed cost advantage versus China. Tulum Fashions in Medellín produces from 150 units per style at a 12.5% US tariff, versus 36–52% for China.
China currently pays 36–52% entering the US (MFN + legacy Section 301 + new Section 301 forced-labor 12.5%). Colombia pays 12.5% under Section 301. The base MFN rate on many Colombian apparel items is reduced by the US–Colombia Trade Agreement, but that does not change the Section 301 levy. CAFTA-DR qualifiers enter at 0%.
Yes. Tulum Fashions has a showroom at California Market Center, Suite C600, Los Angeles, open by private appointment. Development meetings and sample reviews happen there; production runs in Medellín.
Women’s and men’s swimwear: one-pieces, bikinis, trunks, board shorts, rash guards, cover-ups and resort pieces. Also activewear and athleisure for the same production plant. See women’s swimwear for examples.
On tariff, Colombia is lower (12.5% vs Vietnam’s ~29%). On everything else — time zone, sampling speed, technical depth for swimwear construction, and minimum order — Colombia is ahead for a brand doing 150–1,000 units per style. For a brand doing 3,000+ units of basic swimwear, Vietnam or CAFTA-DR may be more competitive on total landed cost.
Yes. The EU–Colombia Trade Agreement sets the rate at zero, provided the rules of origin are met. Apparel requires double transformation from yarn: the fabric must be Colombian or EU-origin. Colombian mill-made fabrics (Lafayette, Protela) qualify; imported Asian fabric does not. See our swimwear manufacturer Colombia guide for the full explanation.
Also read: Nearshore apparel manufacturer for US brands · Full-package clothing manufacturer in Colombia · How to choose a swimwear manufacturer in Colombia · LA swimwear manufacturer page
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Full-package swimwear manufacturing from Medellín, Colombia. Minimum 150 units per style. We answer within 24 hours.