Nearshore apparel manufacturing is often presented as a simple answer to tariffs, long transit times, and dependence on Asia. It is not that simple.
For established brands, the useful question is not “How do we move production out of China?” It is “Which products would actually be better produced closer to the US, and which should stay where they are?”
That distinction matters because China, Honduras, and Peru solve different production problems. A strong sourcing strategy uses each region where its capabilities and economics make sense.
If reducing dependence on one country or factory is the broader goal, start with our apparel supply chain diversification page.
Where nearshore apparel production can help
Shorter transit to the US
Production in Central and South America can materially shorten ocean transit compared with Asia. That can be valuable for replenishment programs, tighter wholesale calendars, and products where inventory responsiveness matters.
The production lead time itself, however, is only one part of the calendar. Fabric and trim availability can still determine how quickly a program can actually run.
Lower concentration risk
A brand with nearly all production in one country is exposed to the same trade policy, port, geopolitical, and capacity risks across much of the assortment.
Moving an appropriate program to another region can create useful redundancy without forcing the brand to rebuild everything. In many cases, the better strategy is China plus one, not China versus one.
Potential duty advantages
Programs produced in qualifying trade-agreement countries can receive favorable duty treatment when the product satisfies the applicable rules of origin.
This is where brands need to be careful. A garment does not become duty-free simply because final sewing happens in a CAFTA-DR country. Yarn, fabric, and other origin requirements can determine eligibility. The sourcing plan has to be built around the actual product and bill of materials.
Where nearshore can be the wrong answer
Minimums can be higher
Nearshore factories often need materially more volume than MakeMine’s lower-volume China programs. A geography that looks attractive on transit time may not be commercially workable for a smaller SKU or fragmented color assortment.
Material options can be narrower
China’s textile ecosystem remains difficult to match for technical knits, custom synthetic fabrics, trims, decoration methods, and lower-volume development. Importing Asian fabric into a nearshore factory can erase some of the lead-time and trade-agreement advantages that made the region attractive in the first place.
Factory specialization still matters more than the map
A factory in the right country but with the wrong equipment, fabric expertise, fit capability, or quality system is not a diversification win.
MakeMine evaluates the product first: construction, materials, volume, target cost, lead time, duty treatment, and repeat-order profile. Geography comes after that.
Honduras: strong for the right volume and construction
Honduras can be compelling for larger programs where regional yarn and fabric sourcing, replenishment speed, and CAFTA-DR eligibility line up with the product.
It is not the automatic answer for a brand producing 100 units per colorway. Nearshore programs typically require more volume, which is why we evaluate the full annual program rather than quoting the country in isolation.
Peru: premium cotton and closer-to-market production
Peru is particularly useful for products where premium cotton is part of the product proposition. Pima cotton programs can justify Peru on quality and material story as well as proximity.
As with every country, the economics depend on volume, fabric, construction, and the specific factory rather than a generic “nearshore” promise.
China still belongs in many diversified supply chains
Technical performance apparel is a good example. China’s combination of synthetic fabric mills, trims, development capability, decoration, and specialized cut-and-sew capacity can make it the best production base even when a brand is actively diversifying.
A golf or outdoor brand might keep technical performance styles in China while moving an appropriate cotton or woven program closer to the US. That creates diversification without sacrificing product fit just to change countries.
How MakeMine approaches the decision
We do not begin with a mandate to move production to a particular country. We review the current factory setup, products, annual volumes, materials, landed costs, timing, and the reason the brand wants another source.
Then we decide what should stay, what should move, and what should simply gain a qualified backup.
MakeMine manages the resulting suppliers through the same production workflow — development, costing, approvals, milestones, inspections, freight, and customs — so a more resilient supply chain does not require a larger internal sourcing team.
If a failing incumbent factory is what triggered the project, see how to switch apparel manufacturers. If wholesale growth is creating the pressure, see apparel manufacturing for wholesale growth.
→ Get a quote for the products or programs you are considering moving.
