Under CMT you supply the fabric and trims — either shipping them in or nominating a mill for us to buy from on your behalf — and we quote only the labour and factory overhead required to turn them into finished garments. Sometimes written CM where trims are excluded from the arrangement.
The headline saving is real but frequently misread. A CMT rate looks dramatically cheaper than an FOB price because it excludes the single largest cost in the garment. Indicative CM rates in Bangladesh for a mid-tier compliant factory run roughly $0.85 to $1.60 for a basic jersey tee, $1.50 to $2.80 for a polo, $2.50 to $4.50 for a fleece hoodie and $6.00 to $12.00 for padded outerwear. Add your own fabric cost back in before comparing that with anyone's FOB quote, or you are comparing two different things.
What CMT actually buys you
Control, and traceability of a specific material. If your brand is built on an organic cotton you have certified yourself, a mill you have audited, or a fabric developed exclusively for you, CMT is the only arrangement that guarantees exactly that material reaches the cutting table. It also removes our margin from the largest line item, which on long-running high-volume styles is worth real money.
What it costs you in exchange
- Material risk moves to you. A fabric that arrives short, off-shade or late is your exposure, and the line still has to be paid for.
- You carry the working capital. Fabric is bought and paid for well before garments ship.
- Timing becomes your job. Production cannot start until every component is in-house, and a missing trim stops a whole line.
- Quality disputes get harder. If a garment fails, separating a fabric fault from a making fault is a conversation neither side enjoys.
That last point is the one buyers underestimate. Under full package there is exactly one party responsible for the finished garment. Under CMT there are two, and the boundary between them is where arguments happen. We are happy to work either way and we will tell you honestly which we think fits your operation.
A middle option most buyers do not know about
Nominated fabric is the compromise. You choose and approve the mill, we buy from it on your account and carry the purchasing and timing risk. You get the material you want without the working capital and logistics burden. For brands with one critical fabric and no desire to manage a full sourcing operation, it is usually the right answer.