Ocean, air and truck times from the main apparel sourcing countries to the US, with what each country does best and a calculator that works back from the date you need goods to the date you have to place the order.
Published transit times are port-to-port sailing times. Your goods spend weeks outside that window.
A container from China sails to Los Angeles in roughly 15 to 22 days. But Flexport's Ocean Timeliness Indicator, which measures from the day cargo is ready at the factory to the day the container leaves the US port, put China to the West Coast at 37.6 days and China to the East Coast at 66.1 days for the week to August 10, 2026.
The difference is everything around the sailing: trucking to the origin port, export customs, waiting for a vessel, transshipment, berthing, unloading and US customs. After that the goods still have to reach your warehouse. Brands that plan on sailing time are the ones paying for air freight in the last month of a season.
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Planning estimates, not quotes. Your forwarder's current schedule for your exact lane always wins.
Sailing is port to port. Plan for is factory to your US warehouse, in days.
| Origin | Sailing to West Coast | Sailing to East Coast | Air | Plan for: West Coast | Plan for: East Coast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 15 to 22 | 28 to 44 | 5 to 10 | 29 to 45 | 46 to 72 |
| Vietnam | 20 to 30 | 30 to 45 | 5 to 10 | 34 to 53 | 48 to 73 |
| Bangladesh | 28 to 38 | 35 to 48 | 5 to 10 | 42 to 61 | 53 to 76 |
| India | 30 to 35 | 35 to 46 | 5 to 10 | 44 to 58 | 53 to 74 |
| Cambodia and Indonesia | 20 to 30 | 30 to 45 | 5 to 10 | 34 to 53 | 48 to 73 |
| Portugal and Italy | Via East Coast | 10 to 18 | 4 to 7 | 21 to 36 | 17 to 30 |
| Central America (CAFTA-DR) | Via Gulf or East Coast | 4 to 7 | Rarely needed | 11 to 19 | 7 to 13 |
| Mexico | 2 to 5 by truck | 2 to 5 by truck | Rarely needed | 3 to 7 | 5 to 9 |
| United States | 1 to 5 by truck | 1 to 5 by truck | Rarely needed | 1 to 5 | 1 to 5 |
Sailing times compiled from published 2026 freight forwarder data, including Dimerco, GoFreight, Exfreight and CargoLinked, and Beacon port data reported by Just Style. Planning ranges are our estimates, explained below, and the China figures are anchored on Flexport's measured Ocean Timeliness Indicator.
The deepest apparel supply chain in the world. Fabric, trims, packaging and components are usually available close to the factory, which makes China strong on complex, technical and fast-turn product, and on sampling speed. For US brands, tariff exposure rather than capability is usually what drives diversification.
Strong on sportswear, outerwear and technical garments, with a quality reputation built on work for major performance brands. A larger share of fabric is imported than in China, which can add time to development.
Scale and cost on basics, knitwear and denim, from one of the world's largest exporters of ready-made garments. It has the longest transit of the major origins to the US: cargo usually transships through Colombo or Singapore, and congestion at Chittagong has caused delays before. It suits planned, high-volume programmes better than fast replenishment.
Vertically integrated from cotton fibre through to finished garment, with particular strength in cotton, embroidery and handwork, and home textiles. Most India to US East Coast services in 2026 still route around the Cape of Good Hope rather than through the Red Sea, which adds roughly 10 to 14 days. West Coast routings avoid that.
Cost-competitive cut-and-sew. Cambodia is concentrated on basics and knits and relies heavily on imported fabric. Indonesia has a broader textile base and a large sportswear and footwear industry. Transit times are similar to Vietnam.
Small minimums, short transatlantic sailings and premium quality. Portugal is strong in knitwear, jersey and quick-turn production; Italy in luxury, tailoring, leather and fabric mills. Higher unit costs are offset for some brands by smaller orders and faster reaction to what is selling.
Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua sit a few days' sailing from Gulf and East Coast ports. Garments that meet CAFTA-DR's yarn-forward rule enter the US duty free, and use of that preference reached 75.7 percent of eligible apparel imports in 2025. Strong in knit basics, T-shirts, fleece and activewear, in time zones close to US teams.
Two to five days by truck, and duty free under USMCA for garments that meet its rules of origin. Strong in denim and basics, and the fastest offshore option for replenishment. Tariff policy uncertainty has held it back: US apparel imports from Mexico grew just 0.5 percent in 2025.
The fastest and most flexible option: small runs, quick reorders, no customs and no ocean risk, with Los Angeles the largest concentration of apparel production. Unit costs are the highest, and capacity in some categories is limited. Many brands use it for reorders on proven styles while bulk comes from overseas.
Planning ranges start from published sailing times and add what happens around them: trucking and export at origin, waiting for a vessel and transshipment, arrival, US customs and delivery to your warehouse. For Asian origins we add 14 to 23 days to West Coast sailings and 18 to 28 days to East Coast sailings, which reproduces Flexport's measured China figures. For Europe we add 7 to 12 days, for Central America 3 to 6, and where goods land on the opposite coast from your warehouse, a 4 to 6 day cross-country truck leg.
For rules of origin, forced labour traceability and why switching countries takes longer than it looks, see the apparel supply chain guide.
We model landed cost and lead time together for your actual styles and retailer calendar, then tell you where a second country would genuinely help. If your current mix is right, we will say so.
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