To import clothes from Bangladesh, you register as an importer in your own country, classify each garment under the right tariff code, check the duty and the proof of origin your market needs, agree who handles freight and customs, then clear the goods through a customs broker and pay any duty and import tax. The steps are the same everywhere. The details change by market: the UK, the EU and Australia currently give Bangladeshi goods tariff-free access under their schemes for Least Developed Countries, while the United States charges duty.
Step 1: decide who the importer of record is
The importer of record is the business legally responsible for the customs declaration, the duty and the goods complying with local law. On most first orders, that is you. The alternative is a DDP (delivered duty paid) arrangement, where the seller takes that role and delivers to your door with duty paid.
Being the importer gives you control over the broker, the freight and the paperwork, and lets you reclaim import VAT where your tax system allows it. DDP is simpler for a first small shipment but hides the duty inside the price, so ask for the breakdown. We quote FOB, CIF or DDP, and you can compare all three before you commit.
Importing yourself is not always the right call. If you are testing one style in a few hundred pieces, have no broker yet and no warehouse to receive a pallet, a DDP quote may cost less in time and mistakes than learning customs on your first order. Once you are reordering, the control and the reclaimed VAT often make it worth becoming the importer.
Step 2: register as an importer in your market
Every market wants an identifier before goods clear. Get it before the goods ship, not while they sit at the port.
- United States: US Customs and Border Protection does not issue an import licence for clothing, but entry forms ask for an importer number: your IRS business registration number, or a CBP-assigned number requested on CBP Form 5106.
- United Kingdom: a GB EORI number. GOV.UK lists it as the first step in getting a business ready to import.
- European Union: an EU EORI number, which the European Commission says is mandatory for all customs operations in the EU.
- Canada: registration in the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management system, known as CARM, which is one of the steps in the CBSA’s guide to importing commercial goods.
- Australia: your customs broker lodges the import declaration with the Australian Border Force and will tell you which business details it needs from you.
Step 3: classify each garment under the right tariff code
Duty depends on the tariff code, and the code depends on how the garment is made. Under the World Customs Organization’s Harmonized System, Chapter 61 covers apparel that is knitted or crocheted, and Chapter 62 covers apparel that is not. A jersey t-shirt and a woven shirt therefore sit in different chapters, and the fibre, gender and style then decide the exact line.
Your supplier’s code is a starting point, not an answer, because the declaration is yours. In the US, CBP says importers can ask for a binding ruling on classification and search earlier rulings in its CROSS database. Your customs broker can advise, but they need the fabric composition and construction from your tech pack to do it. Where a garment mixes knitted and woven parts, such as a jersey hoodie with woven panels, the answer is less obvious, so settle the code before the first order ships, not after it lands.
Step 4: check the duty and preference for your market
Bangladesh is a Least Developed Country, which gives its exports preferential access to several markets. Its graduation from that category is scheduled for November 2026, and each market handles the change differently.
| Market | Position for Bangladeshi clothing | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Duty at the rate for the HTS code, plus any additional tariff in force. Check the current position before each order. | US buyers |
| United Kingdom | Bangladesh is in the DCTS Comprehensive Preferences tier, where 99.8% of products are tariff-free. After LDC graduation, a 3-year transition applies before the move to Enhanced Preferences. | UK buyers |
| European Union | Everything But Arms removes tariffs and quotas on all goods except arms and ammunition from Least Developed Countries. | EU buyers |
| Canada | Least Developed Country Tariff treatment where the goods meet its rules of origin. | Canadian buyers |
| Australia | Duty-free and quota-free; the Australian government says this continues after graduation. GST is payable on imports unless an exemption applies. | Australian buyers |
Sources: GOV.UK, Access2Markets, CBSA, DFAT and the Australian Border Force, checked 22 September 2026. Each market page on this site tracks the current rates, the graduation position and the labelling rules in more detail.
Step 5: get the proof of origin right
A duty-free preference is not automatic. It has to be claimed on the import declaration and backed by proof that the goods meet the scheme’s rules of origin. If the proof fails, the duty can become payable.
- UK and EU: the exporter provides an origin statement or certificate in the form each scheme accepts. Ask your supplier which document they will issue before you place the order, not after the goods ship.
- Canada: CBSA Memorandum D11-4-4 sets out the rules of origin for the Least Developed Country Tariff, and includes a specific certificate of origin for textile and apparel goods from Least Developed Countries, Form BSF255.
- United States: no preference is being claimed, but country of origin still has to be declared and shown on the goods.
Rules of origin for clothing can depend on where the fabric was made, not only where the garment was sewn. Tell your supplier which market the goods are for, so they can confirm the fabric route qualifies. If you sell into more than one market from one production run, say so at the start: the same cartons may need different origin paperwork depending on where they are cleared.
Step 6: check labelling and product rules
GOV.UK’s import guide includes a step to check labelling, marking and marketing rules, and every market has its own. Typical requirements cover fibre content, country of origin, care instructions and a responsible business name, with extra safety rules for children’s clothing. Fixing a label in Bangladesh costs a line on the purchase order; fixing it after arrival means unpacking every carton. Put the label requirements in your tech pack before production, and check them at final inspection.
Step 7: choose FOB, CIF or DDP
The trade term decides where the seller’s job ends and yours begins.
- FOB: the seller delivers the goods loaded on board at the port of shipment. You book and pay for the main freight, insurance and everything after.
- CIF: the seller also pays freight and insurance to your port. You handle customs clearance, duty and local delivery.
- DDP: the seller handles everything to your address, including import clearance and duty.
A careful first-time importer asks for the same order priced on at least two terms and runs the numbers through a landed cost calculator, adding duty, tax, broker fees and local delivery. The cheapest FOB price is not always the cheapest landed price.
Step 8: book freight and a customs broker
Bulk clothing from Bangladesh usually moves by sea from Chattogram port, and urgent or small shipments by air from Dhaka. Sea freight is cheaper per kilo; air is faster and suits samples, replenishment and launches that cannot wait. The logistics and shipping page explains how the goods move from factory to port.
Appoint a customs broker in your country before the goods ship. They file the declaration, calculate duty and tax, and deal with any customs query. Send them the commercial invoice, packing list, proof of origin and the tariff codes in advance, so the entry can be prepared while the goods are at sea.
Check the documents match before they leave Bangladesh. The commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill and origin document should show the same quantities, carton counts, descriptions and consignee. A mismatch between the invoice value and the packing list, or a description vaguer than the tariff code, is the kind of small error that turns a routine entry into a customs query.
Steps 9 and 10: clear customs, pay, and keep records
Step 9: clear customs and pay duty and tax
When the goods arrive, your broker lodges the declaration and you pay what is due. Even where duty is zero, import tax usually is not: the Australian Border Force says GST is payable on imported goods unless an exemption applies, and UK VAT-registered importers can reclaim import VAT using their C79 certificate, according to GOV.UK. In Canada, the CBSA guide’s clearance step is a formal declaration to release the goods and payment of duties and taxes.
Step 10: pay safely and keep records
Pay only to a company bank account in the name on your contract, and confirm any change of bank details by phone, never by email alone. Link each payment to an approved stage: sample, production start, passed final inspection. Then keep the paperwork. GOV.UK’s guide ends with keeping invoices and records; keep them for as long as your customs authority requires.
What to do next
Pick your market above and read its page for the current duty and labelling rules. Then work out your landed cost for one style at two trade terms. If you want quotes on FOB, CIF and DDP for the same order, send us your styles and quantities. We reply within one working day and name the factory in writing before production.
Questions buyers ask.
Can I import clothes from Bangladesh to the USA?
Yes. The United States does not require an import licence for clothing, and CBP’s own guidance for new importers says entry forms only need an importer number, which is either your IRS business number or a CBP-assigned number applied for on Form 5106. The difference from the UK, EU, Canada and Australia is cost. Bangladeshi clothing pays the normal US duty rate for its tariff code, and any additional tariff in force is added on top, so check the current position before every order rather than relying on last season’s landed cost. Classification matters more than usual, because knitted and woven garments and different fibre blends carry different rates; CBP lets importers request a binding ruling if the code is uncertain. Most importers use a licensed customs broker for the entry. Our US market page tracks the current rates and the labelling rules that apply to clothing.
How do I import clothes from Bangladesh to the UK?
Get a GB EORI number first, because the UK government lists it as the starting point for any business importing goods. Next, find the commodity code for each garment: knitted clothing sits in Chapter 61 of the tariff and woven clothing in Chapter 62. Bangladesh is in the Comprehensive Preferences tier of the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme, under which 99.8% of products are tariff-free, and the UK guidance gives a country leaving Least Developed Country status a three-year transition before moving to Enhanced Preferences. To use the preference, your broker claims it on the import declaration with proof of origin from the exporter. Import VAT is still payable at the border; if you are VAT-registered, you can reclaim it using your C79 certificate. Check the UK labelling rules for fibre content before production, and keep invoices and records after the goods clear customs.
Do I need a customs broker to import clothing from Bangladesh?
Legally, not always; in practice, a first-time commercial importer should use one. A customs broker lodges the import declaration, applies the tariff code, calculates duty and tax, claims any trade preference and answers customs queries while your goods wait at the port. Doing it yourself means learning each authority’s declaration system, and a mistake can delay the shipment or leave you owing duty with interest later. The cost of a broker is usually small next to a container of stock sitting in a port. If you buy on DDP terms, the seller arranges clearance for you and the broker’s fee is inside the price, so ask for it to be shown separately. Whichever route you choose, give the broker the commercial invoice, packing list, proof of origin and the fabric composition of each style before the goods arrive, not after, so the entry can be prepared in advance.
Sources
Checked . Rules and figures change, so confirm anything that affects your pricing.
- US Customs and Border Protection — Tips for new importers and exporters (no CBP import licence; importer number via IRS number or CBP Form 5106; binding rulings; CROSS) (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK — Import goods into the UK: step by step (GB EORI, commodity code, labelling rules, C79 VAT reclaim, keeping records) (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK — Preference tiers under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (Bangladesh in Comprehensive Preferences; 99.8% tariff-free; 3-year transition after LDC graduation) (opens in a new tab)
- European Commission, Access2Markets — Everything But Arms (tariffs and quotas removed on all goods except arms and ammunition from LDCs) (opens in a new tab)
- European Commission, Taxation and Customs Union — EORI number (mandatory for customs operations in the EU) (opens in a new tab)
- Canada Border Services Agency — Guide to importing commercial goods into Canada (CARM registration, classification, declaration, duties and taxes) (opens in a new tab)
- Canada Border Services Agency — Memorandum D11-4-4, rules of origin for the GPT and LDCT (Form BSF255 for LDC textile and apparel goods) (opens in a new tab)
- Australian Border Force — Cost of importing goods (duties and taxes apply unless exempt; GST payable on imported goods) (opens in a new tab)
- Australian Government, DFAT — Bangladesh country brief (duty-free, quota-free access continues after LDC graduation; graduation scheduled November 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- World Customs Organization — HS Nomenclature 2022, Chapter 61: articles of apparel, knitted or crocheted (opens in a new tab)