We're a Turkish factory, so read this with that in mind — but the numbers below are the ones we'd give a friend, including the cases where we'd tell you to buy somewhere else. More about us as a socks manufacturer in Turkey →
| Origin | Typical MOQ | FOB unit | To EU warehouse | EU duty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | 300–1,000 | €0.50–1.90 | 2–4 days by truck | 0% (Customs Union, A.TR) |
| China | 3,000–5,000 | €0.30–1.20 | 30–45 days by sea | ~8–12% |
| Portugal | 1,000–3,000 | €1.20–3.00 | 3–6 days | 0% (EU) |
| Bangladesh / Pakistan | 5,000–10,000 | €0.25–0.90 | 35–50 days by sea | 0% (GSP/EBA, varies) |
Ranges are indicative for combed-cotton crew socks in 2026 and move with yarn prices and freight. Always compare on identical specs — yarn, needle count, packaging — or you're comparing different products.
The number a factory quotes is not what the sock costs you. A €0.45 sock from Asia and a €0.80 sock from Türkiye often land within cents of each other once you add everything up:
| Cost line | China (5,000 pairs) | Türkiye (5,000 pairs) |
|---|---|---|
| FOB unit price | €0.45 | €0.80 |
| Sea/road freight per pair | ~€0.10 | ~€0.05 |
| Import duty | ~€0.05 | €0.00 |
| Cash tied up (45 days vs 7) | real, rarely counted | minimal |
| Landed, roughly | ~€0.60 | ~€0.85 |
So China is still cheaper per pair at volume — that part is true and we won't pretend otherwise. What changes the decision is how much you order and how often you reorder.
You're ordering 10,000+ pairs per design, your range is stable, and a 6-week restock doesn't hurt you. At that scale the unit-price gap is real money and the MOQ isn't a constraint.
You're testing designs, reordering often, or selling into the EU. Low minimums, 1–2 week restocks and zero duty matter more than €0.15 a pair when you're still learning what sells.
"Made in EU" is part of your brand story and your price point supports it. Quality is excellent; you pay for it and MOQs sit in the middle.
You need the absolute lowest cost at very high volume on simple constructions, and you have the capacity to manage compliance and long lead times.
Unit price is a one-time number. Reorder speed hits you every season.
A design sells out in week three. From Türkiye you have new stock in roughly two weeks and you catch the demand. From Asia you're looking at six to eight weeks — by then the moment has passed, and you've either lost the sales or carried inventory you didn't need in order to avoid the gap. For a young brand that difference usually outweighs the per-pair saving; for an established one with accurate forecasts, it doesn't.
Cheap per pair, expensive per season — or the other way round. Pick the one that matches how predictable your demand actually is.
Türkiye and the EU are in a Customs Union for industrial goods. With an A.TR movement certificate — which your factory issues, not you — Turkish-made socks enter the EU free of customs duty. Local import VAT still applies as it would on any purchase. This is the single largest structural reason Turkish unit prices compete with Asian ones on landed cost, and it's worth confirming your supplier issues A.TR before you order.
Our quote tool gives a realistic Turkish factory range in 30 seconds — compare it against your current supplier.
Get an instant quoteRelated reading: How to find a sock manufacturer in Turkey · Low MOQ sock manufacturing · Private label guide