‘Made in China’ in the clothing industry: what does it mean?

In the 1970s, many companies moved production from Europe or the USA to Asia. Production costs in China and other Asian countries were lower – and remain so today. Therefore, over the last few decades, a large clothing industry has been developed in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam and other countries, along with all it needs for production: huge factories with all the necessary machinery, extensive knowledge, specialised workers. Years of experience and extensive infrastructure make it possible to produce high-quality products efficiently.

In principle, yes. There are very good production sites in Asia and inadequate ones in Europe – and vice versa. It is important to us that the brands in the Transa range implement legitimate risk management. Ideally, they make their supply chains transparent from the extraction of raw materials to production in the factory and transport to Europe. This identifies weak points and helps to continuously improve processes. Transa also reserves the right to remove brands from the product range that do not promote human, animal and environmental rights in accordance with the standards defined by Transa.

All brands are obliged to comply with standards defined by Transa in the areas of working conditions, environment protection and animal wellbeing. These are set out in the Code of Conduct. Transa also prefers brands with proven and recognised certifications that go beyond the required minimum.

There are a lot of them in the clothing industry – around 85% of the clothing in our range is produced in Asia. About 40% is manufactured in Vietnam, about 23% in China and about 10% in Bangladesh. You can see where exactly the product was made on the label. The information is also listed in the specifications in the online shop.

In Europe, our clothing manufacturers are limited to Lithuania (almost 2% of our range), Romania (around 1% of our range) and Spain (around 0.8% of our range) as production locations. The clothing industry is also growing in these countries. As in Asia, Europe has very good factories, but it also has inadequate ones. Some countries (many of them in Asia) have an increased risk of labour law violations. However, it is not possible to draw direct conclusions about the quality of the clothes or the social standards for the workers based on the country of manufacture alone. The individual supply chains in each country must be considered and evaluated individually.

Asia, especially countries such as China, Vietnam and Bangladesh, has become a centre of global textile production – including for the outdoor industry. The well-developed infrastructure and experienced workforce make it possible to produce clothing efficiently and in large quantities. Clothing can be produced sustainably, regardless of the production location.

The negative environmental impact of the textile industry is present throughout the world – and the extent of the impact depends on the factory itself. The various chemicals needed for dyeing or waterproofing clothing, for example, can damage the environment. However, as in Europe, there are more and more initiatives in Asia that are committed to more sustainable production, such as reducing water pollution. An increasing number of outdoor brands and factories are investing in environmentally friendly technologies and relying on renewable energies. Programmes to reduce water consumption and waste are also being implemented.