Clothing manufacturer in Bangladesh for Swiss brands
Switzerland is the simplest duty story of any market we work with, and for an unusual reason: it did not give Bangladesh a preference, it abolished the tariff altogether. That removes the paperwork that dominates every other market page on this site — and leaves a different set of things to get right.
- Import duty
- 0% — industrial tariffs abolished on 1 January 2024
- Applies to
- Tariff chapters 25–97, regardless of origin
- After 24 Nov 2026
- No effect: the zero rate is not a preference
- Tax at import
- VAT 8.1% standard rate
- Customs
- Separate from the EU — Switzerland is not an EU member
- Best for
- Brands wanting predictable duty with no origin risk
The tariff was abolished, not waived
On 1 January 2024 Switzerland abolished customs duties on industrial goods. The Swiss federal customs authority states that the abolition covers chapters 25 to 97 of the customs tariff, with a few exceptions in chapters 35 and 38 that are treated as agricultural. Textiles and clothing sit in chapters 50 to 63, squarely inside that range.
The wording that matters is “regardless of origin”. This is not a preference granted to developing countries, so there is no beneficiary list to fall off, no proof of origin to file for duty purposes, and nothing that changes when Bangladesh graduates from Least Developed Country status in November 2026. For a brand planning several years ahead, Switzerland is the one market on this site where the duty line simply is not a risk.
Origin still matters if the goods move on
One nuance is worth understanding, because it catches brands who use Switzerland as a European base. Swiss customs distinguishes between goods that stay in Switzerland and goods that are later exported to free trade partners: proof of origin is not needed for the former, but it is needed for the latter.
So if your Swiss warehouse also supplies EU customers, you still want the Bangladeshi origin documentation in the file, because the EU side of that movement has its own rules and its own duty position. Ask us for the origin documents with every shipment regardless; they cost nothing to keep and are impossible to recreate later.
VAT at 8.1%
Import VAT is where Switzerland collects. The standard rate rose to 8.1% on 1 January 2024 and applies to imported goods on the same basis as domestic ones, collected at the border by the customs administration.
Duty-free is therefore not tax-free, and a landed cost model that omits the 8.1% will be wrong by roughly the margin most brands are arguing over. If you are registered for Swiss VAT you recover it in the normal way; your accountant should confirm the treatment for how you sell.
Switzerland is not the EU, and that costs a clearance
Swiss customs is separate from the EU customs union. If you sell in both Switzerland and the EU, that is two clearances, two sets of import formalities and two sets of rules, even though the countries share borders and often share a language.
Practically, most Bangladeshi goods bound for Switzerland arrive by sea into a northern European or Mediterranean port and travel on by road or rail, or fly into Zurich for urgent drops. Ask your forwarder to quote the whole journey rather than to the port, because the inland leg and the Swiss clearance are a meaningful part of the cost on a landlocked destination.
Labelling, in practice
Because Switzerland is outside the EU, EU textile labelling law does not apply to it automatically. In practice most brands selling into Switzerland and the EU use the same label, built to the EU rules, with fibre composition given in the approved names and, for the Swiss market, usually in German, French and Italian.
We would rather point you at the right question than assert a rule we have not verified: ask your Swiss retailer or importer what label content they require, and tell us at sampling. We build the label to that specification and check it on the pre-production sample. Where your range also sells into the EU, we normally recommend labelling to the EU standard as the baseline, since it is the stricter of the two starting points.
Sources
Checked . Rules and figures change, so confirm anything that affects your pricing.
- Swiss Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) — Abolition of industrial tariffs (in force 1 January 2024, chapters 25–97) (opens in a new tab)
- SECO — Abolition of industrial tariffs (opens in a new tab)
- Swiss Federal Tax Administration — VAT rates in Switzerland (8.1% standard rate) (opens in a new tab)
- BAZG — VAT on imported goods (opens in a new tab)
Popular products for Switzerland brands.
Each category is made in factories that specialise in it — see everything we make. What drives the price is broken down in our clothing cost guide.
- T-shirtsSingle jersey 140–180 GSM · Midweight jersey 180–220 GSM · Heavyweight jersey 240–300 GSM
- Hoodies and sweatshirtsFrench terry (loopback) 280–380 GSM · Brushed fleece 300–450 GSM · Heavyweight fleece up to 500 GSM
- Jackets and outerwearNylon and polyester taffeta and ripstop · Recycled polyester shells (GRS) · Cotton twill and canvas
- Woven shirts and bottomsCotton poplin and broadcloth · Oxford and pinpoint oxford · Yarn-dyed checks and stripes
Questions from Switzerland buyers.
Do I pay import duty on clothing from Bangladesh into Switzerland?
No, and unusually, not because of a trade preference. Switzerland abolished customs duties on industrial goods on 1 January 2024. The federal customs authority states that the abolition covers chapters 25 to 97 of the tariff, which includes textiles and clothing in chapters 50 to 63, and that it applies regardless of the origin of the goods. Because it is not a preference, there is no beneficiary status to lose: Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country status in November 2026 has no effect on Swiss duty, which makes Switzerland the most predictable market on this site for long-term pricing. Two things still apply. Import VAT is charged at the standard rate of 8.1%, collected at the border. And you still declare the goods properly, with correct tariff numbers and weights — the duty is gone, the customs formalities are not.
If duty is zero, do I still need origin documents?
For Swiss duty purposes, no — the zero rate applies regardless of origin, so there is no preference to claim. But ask for the documents anyway, for two reasons. First, Swiss customs distinguishes between goods that stay in Switzerland and goods later exported to free trade partners, and origin proof is required for the second case. If your Swiss warehouse supplies EU customers, or you re-export at all, you will need it. Second, origin documentation is impossible to recreate after the fact, and it costs nothing to file at the time. More broadly, your buyers and your own compliance reporting increasingly want to know where goods were made and by whom, which is a different question from what duty you paid. We supply the origin documents with every shipment as standard, along with the factory name and address in writing before production starts.
Other markets
Selling in the Switzerland? Get a landed price.
Send a tech pack, a sketch or a photo of a garment you like. We reply within one working day with questions or a first costing.
- One merchandiser responsible for your order
- Certificates and audit reports shared before production
- AQL final inspection report before you approve shipment
- NDA signed on request before you share designs