Sourcing guide · Updated October 2026 · José Olarte, Founder
Tulum Fashions is a full-package apparel manufacturer in Medellín, Colombia, with a showroom at California Market Center in Los Angeles. We offer development and production from 150 units per style in 6–8 weeks. Colombia competes on full-package capability, not on duty — and this guide explains exactly what that means in practice.
Nearshore manufacturing means sourcing from countries that share or are close to your own time zone. For US brands, that means Mexico, Central America (Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic under CAFTA-DR) and Colombia. All are within one to three hours of US Central or Eastern time, which means a question sent Monday morning gets answered the same business day.
The shift toward nearshore accelerated sharply in 2026. The Section 301 forced-labor additional duty, effective July 24, 2026, added 12.5% to Chinese and Vietnamese apparel and 10% to Indian and Bangladeshi apparel (on top of existing MFN rates). At the same time, USMCA and CAFTA-DR countries remain fully exempt from that levy. The result is a tariff gap between Asia and the Western Hemisphere that did not exist in this form before 2026.
Nearshore is no longer a premium positioning argument. It is a sourcing math question. But the math is more nuanced than a single percentage, and this guide walks through it honestly.
These figures are as of October 2026. Tariffs move; always request a landed cost quote per shipment from your factory, not a percentage from a chart. For sources, see the USTR Federal Register notice of July 23, 2026, and the CAFTA-DR agreement text.
| Origin | US Tariff (apparel, Oct 2026) | Time zone vs. US East | Development depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 36–52% (MFN + Section 301) | +12 to +15 h | Deep, volume-oriented |
| Vietnam | ~29% total typical | +11 to +12 h | Moderate |
| India / Bangladesh | ~26.5% total | +9 to +10 h | Moderate; strong in basics |
| CAFTA-DR (Honduras, Guatemala, etc.) | 0% if qualifies | Same or −1 h | Strong in basics, growing in technical |
| Mexico (USMCA) | 0% if qualifies | Same or −1 h | Good for basics and fast fashion |
| Colombia | 12.5% (Section 301) | Same as Eastern | Strong in swimwear, resort, activewear |
Sources: USTR Federal Register Notice, July 23, 2026 (Section 301 forced-labor duties); CAFTA-DR full text; US–Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement; USTR/CBP CSMS #69326983. Rates verified October 2026. MFN base rates vary by HTS chapter.
No. CAFTA-DR duty-free access requires the garment to meet the agreement’s rules of origin — in most cases, a yarn-forward rule: the yarn must be spun in a CAFTA-DR or US country, woven or knit into fabric in a CAFTA-DR or US country, and cut and sewn in a CAFTA-DR country. If your factory in Honduras sources Asian fabric, your garment does not qualify and the duty reverts to the MFN rate.
This matters in practice because many CAFTA-DR factories use Asian-origin synthetic fabric (nylon, polyester blends) for swimwear and activewear. Running compliance-verified yarn-forward programs requires deliberate supply-chain management and higher fabric costs than sourcing from Asia. Brands sourcing basic jersey T-shirts or simple knit programs from large CAFTA-DR factories typically qualify without friction. Brands sourcing technical swimwear or specialty wovens need to ask specifically.
Colombia also has a US trade agreement (the US–Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, in force 2012), which reduces the MFN base rate on many apparel items. But Colombia is not exempt from the Section 301 forced-labor additional duty of 12.5% (effective July 24, 2026). That levy applies to every country except USMCA and CAFTA-DR signatories. Anyone selling Colombian production as “duty-free” into the US is quoting an expired or incorrect rate.
The honest answer: only if your product requires what Colombia does better. There is a real case here, but it is specific.
Medellín has been making swimwear and intimate apparel for decades. That history means pattern makers who understand cup construction, bonded and cover-stitched seams, elastic tension, and chlorine-resistant fabric behavior without being taught from scratch. It means fabric mills — Lafayette, Protela, Leonisa’s supply network — that stock technical nylon and spandex blends locally. It means sample rooms that turn a sketch into a wearable fit sample in about four weeks.
Tulum Fashions operates from Medellín and has a showroom at California Market Center, Suite C600, Los Angeles for in-person development. You can bring tech packs, reference samples or just a sketch. Development takes about four weeks (one week sourcing, three weeks sampling), plus about two weeks per fit correction round; production runs six to eight weeks from an approved sample and deposit. Our LA swimwear manufacturing page has more detail on how we work with West Coast brands specifically.
For brands running basic T-shirts, cut-and-sew jersey programs or high-volume basics where unit price is the main lever, Central America or Mexico are very likely a better fit. Colombia charges 12.5% duty into the US and that cost is real. It only makes economic sense against that if the alternative is a lower-capability supplier that costs you more in sampling rounds, fit corrections and late deliveries.
| Your situation | Likely best origin |
|---|---|
| Technical swimwear, resort wear, activewear — 150 to 1,000 units per style | Colombia |
| High-volume basics (T-shirts, jersey knits) at 0% duty, 500+ units | CAFTA-DR |
| Fast-turnaround basics, replenishment, nearshore proximity to US | Mexico (USMCA) |
| Very high volume (10,000+ units/style), lowest possible unit cost | Asia (accept higher duty) |
| EU market priority, swimwear or resort, shorter runs | Colombia (0% into EU under trade agreement) |
If you are building a swimwear, resort or activewear collection and want to see samples in person before committing to production, book a showroom appointment in Los Angeles. If you want to understand the full development process first, read our development page or the Colombia swimwear manufacturer guide. You can also read our full nearshoring math post for a deeper cost breakdown.
Sourcing production from countries that share or are adjacent to your time zone. For US brands: Mexico, Central America and Colombia. All offer same-day communication, shorter logistics chains and easier sampling than Asia.
No, and anyone saying so is not quoting the current duty. Colombia pays 12.5% into the US. CAFTA-DR and USMCA qualify for 0%. Colombia competes on development capability and product quality, not on landed cost versus Central America.
150 units per style is the production minimum. A run of 100–149 is possible at a short-run surcharge. Below 100 units, only development and samples — no production run.
Yes, that is exactly how Tulum Fashions works. Fittings and tech pack review happen at the California Market Center showroom in Los Angeles; production runs in Medellín from the same patterns and specs.
Development starts remotely or at our Los Angeles showroom and takes about four weeks to the first sample. Production runs six to eight weeks from the approved sample and a 50% deposit; the balance is paid before shipment. Finished goods ship from Medellín to the US by FedEx or DHL in three to five days, and Colombian apparel pays the 12.5% Section 301 duty on entry. We can deliver DDP (duties paid, to your door) or ship through your freight forwarder.
Vietnam pays more duty (~29% total typical versus 12.5% for Colombia into the US), plus an 11–12 hour time zone difference, longer sampling cycles and less depth in technical swimwear construction. For a brand that needs fast sampling, fit expertise and direct communication, the Colombia overhead on duty can pay for itself in saved sampling rounds.
Swimwear, resort wear, activewear, athleisure, casual wear, urban streetwear, tailoring, uniforms and medical scrubs. See our full-package guide for the complete category list and process.
Also read: Activewear manufacturer in Colombia (low MOQ) · Alternatives to China for swimwear production · Full-package clothing manufacturer in Colombia · How to choose a swimwear manufacturer in Colombia
All duty rates above are verified as of October 2026. They are subject to change. Request a current landed cost estimate from your customs broker before committing to a sourcing decision.
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