India vs China: Where Should You Make Your Towels?
China is the largest towel exporter in the world by most trade counts. Gaoyang, Nantong and Shandong can make almost any towel at almost any volume, and quickly. India is the next large origin, with home-grown cotton and a deep base of terry mills.
Most buyers comparing the two are not unhappy with Chinese quality. They want a second origin because of US tariffs, cotton traceability rules or concentration risk. This page covers buyers in every market; US buyers should also read our US tariff page.
Choose India when
- You buy cotton terry towels and need clean cotton origin, especially for the US
- You ship to the UK, UAE or wider GCC, where Indian towels pay less duty
- You want towels, robes and bed linen from one exporter on one order
- You are adding a second origin to reduce reliance on China
Choose China when
- You buy printed beach towels, velour, microfibre or promotional towels
- You need very large volumes on short notice
- You sell into Australia or the EU, where China has no duty disadvantage against India today
- Your current Chinese supplier already passes your audits and traceability checks
India vs China: Side by Side
| Factor | India | China |
|---|---|---|
| Towel clusters | Solapur (Maharashtra), Karur and Erode (Tamil Nadu), Panipat (Haryana), large integrated mills in Gujarat and Punjab, plus Kerala export houses | Gaoyang (Hebei), Nantong (Jiangsu) and Shandong (Weifang, Binzhou, Zibo) |
| Export ports | Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Chennai, Tuticorin, Cochin, Vizhinjam | Qingdao, Tianjin, Shanghai, Ningbo |
| Cotton | Grown at home. India is one of the two largest cotton producers in the world, so yarn does not have to be imported. | Large domestic crop, much of it from Xinjiang, plus imports. Xinjiang origin is the problem for US buyers. |
| Strongest products | Cotton terry: hotel, bath, kitchen, beach, spa, jacquard and dobby border towels. | Printed beach towels, velour, microfibre, promotional and novelty towels, plus cotton terry. |
| Cotton traceability | Indian-grown cotton. Origin documents follow the yarn. | Xinjiang cotton is common in the domestic supply. US buyers must prove fibre origin under the UFLPA; the EU forced-labour ban applies from December 2027. |
| GSM range | 300-700 GSM. | 250-700 GSM, plus microfibre by weight. |
| Smallest practical order | Trial runs from 500 pcs; wholesale from 2,000 pcs / SKU. | Low MOQs exist on supplier platforms, often through traders rather than mills. |
| Production lead time | 30-45 days after sample approval. | 25-40 days; very fast for printed and stock programmes. |
| Sea transit to North Europe | About 21-28 days from Cochin. | About 30-40 days from Shanghai or Qingdao. |
| Sea transit to the Gulf | About 7-12 days from Cochin. | About 18-25 days. |
| Finding a real factory | Fewer listings; exporters and clusters are easier to verify by IEC and GST number. | Many listings mix factories and trading companies; verification takes longer. |
| Import duty: European Union | 12% (GSP withdrawn 2026-28; 0% once the India-EU FTA is in force) | 12% |
| Import duty: United Kingdom | 0% under CETA (in force 15 Jul 2026) | About 12% |
| Import duty: United States | MFN + 10% Section 301 | MFN + legacy Section 301 + later measures (highest) |
| Import duty: UAE and GCC | 0% in the UAE (CEPA); 5% elsewhere in the GCC | 5% |
| Import duty: Australia | 0% under ECTA | 0% under ChAFTA |
Duty rows are for cotton terry towels (HS 6302.60) as of October 2026. They are planning figures, not customs advice. Confirm your exact line before you price:
India: Strengths and Watch-outs
The widest range of any origin, from economy institutional terry to 700 GSM hotel towels, with home-grown cotton and English-speaking export desks.
- +Home-grown cotton and spinning, so yarn cost and supply are not exposed to imports
- +Every tier in one country: economy, mid-range hotel, 600-700 GSM luxury, kitchen, beach and spa
- +Duty-free into the UK (CETA, in force 15 July 2026), the UAE (CEPA) and Australia (ECTA)
- +Small trial runs are possible through export houses, not only full containers
- +English is the working language of the export trade
- !EU buyers pay 12% duty on Indian towels until the India-EU FTA enters into force, while Pakistan, Bangladesh and Türkiye enter at 0%
- !US buyers now pay a 10% Section 301 duty on top of MFN, the same as Pakistan and Bangladesh
- !Quality varies widely between clusters and units, so specs and inspection must be written down
Best for: UK, GCC and Australian buyers, hotel and private-label programmes that want several towel types on one order, and anyone starting with a trial run.
China: Strengths and Watch-outs
The largest towel exporter by most trade counts, unmatched on scale, speed and printed, velour and microfibre towels, but the most exposed origin for US buyers.
- +Scale: almost any spec, colour or print at almost any volume
- +Strong in printed beach towels, velour, microfibre and promotional towels
- +Short transit to North Asia and the US West Coast
- +Mature supplier platforms and trade fairs make factories easy to find
- !The heaviest US duty stack of the five origins: MFN plus the 2018-2019 Section 301 duties plus later measures
- !US Customs presumes goods made with Xinjiang cotton are barred under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, so cotton towels need fibre traceability
- !EU and UK buyers pay full MFN duty (about 12%) with no preference
- !Platform listings mix factories and traders, which makes verification slower
Best for: Printed, velour and microfibre towels, promotional programmes, and buyers outside the US who need very large volumes fast.
Where Anabyn Fits
Anabyn is an Indian export house in Thrissur, Kerala. We place and inspect towel orders across specialist Indian units and ship from Cochin or Vizhinjam. Trial runs start at 500 pieces. Wholesale pricing starts at 2,000 pieces per SKU. We only supply Indian-origin towels, so read the China column as a fair picture of the alternative, not a pitch against it.
Comparing more than two origins? See the five-country towel sourcing comparison or run your own numbers in the import duty calculator.
Questions Buyers Ask
Are Indian towels better than Chinese towels?
Neither country is better across the board. Good mills in both make excellent cotton terry. India's advantage is home-grown cotton and depth in cotton terry at every GSM. China's is scale, speed and printed, velour and microfibre towels. Judge a supplier on washed samples and test reports, not on the country name.
Where are towels made in China?
Mainly in three areas: Gaoyang county in Hebei, Nantong in Jiangsu (also a large home-textile market), and Shandong province around Weifang, Binzhou and Zibo. Large listed towel groups sit in Shandong.
What does China plus one mean for towel sourcing?
Keeping part of your volume in China while placing a share with a second origin, usually India, Pakistan or Vietnam, so one tariff change, port closure or audit finding cannot stop your whole supply. Most buyers start with one or two core SKUs on a trial run and widen the share once quality holds.
Do Chinese cotton towels have a Xinjiang cotton problem?
For US buyers, yes. Under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, US Customs presumes goods made with Xinjiang cotton are barred unless the importer proves otherwise. Much of China's cotton is grown in Xinjiang, so cotton towels need fibre-level traceability. Indian towels made from Indian cotton avoid that question.
Is it cheaper to import towels from China or India?
Factory prices are close for standard cotton terry; China is often a little cheaper for printed and microfibre towels. The landed price then depends on where you sell. Into the UK and UAE India usually lands cheaper because of 0% duty. Into the EU both pay 12% today. Into the US, China carries the heavier tariff stack. Our China vs India calculator lets you enter your own quotes.
How do I start sourcing towels from India instead of China?
Send your current spec (GSM, sizes, colours, packing) and annual volume, approve washed samples, then run a trial order before moving volume. Anabyn's terms: 500 pcs trial / 2,000 pcs wholesale, samples 2 free pcs per spec, you pay courier only, production 30–45 days.
Test India Against Your Chinese Quote
Send the spec you buy today: GSM, sizes, colours and yearly quantity. We reply with FOB pricing and free samples so you can compare like for like.
Or use the quote form.