Seamless Sets Wholesale Supplier in Australia: Market Notes

# Seamless Sets Wholesale Supplier in Australia: What a Zhejiang Factory Tells Buyers Before You Place the PO You’ve found a supplier with the right fabric tech, but you’re stuck on the landed cost. You’ve checked freight rates from Ningbo to Sydney, and now you’re wondering if the 20% tariff hits your specific HS code. The other worry: your competitor just launched a matching seamless bra and legging set, and they did it in five weeks. You need the same speed, but without paying for air freight that eats your margin. We run a 20+ year factory floor in Zhejiang. We supply seamless sets wholesale supplier in Australia programs for gym chains, Amazon sellers, and startup brands that don’t have time for long-chain sourcing. This article is the briefing we usually give on a WeChat call. It covers Australian demand signals, import duties, real price tiers, and why Aussie sizing doesn’t match US sizing tables. ## Market demand signals Australia’s activewear market responds to two forces: weather and a calendar that runs counter to the Northern Hemisphere. Your Q4 peak is April–June. Our factory’s busy season is August–October for Chinese domestic and US orders. If you time your orders to land in Melbourne or Brisbane by late March, you skip the factory’s Northern Hemisphere rush and get faster production slots. We typically quote 4–6 weeks for a 300-piece medium order after sample approval. If you push us into September, you’re fighting for machine time with our US clients, and lead times stretch to 7–8 weeks. Demand signal two: high-UV fabrics. Australian buyers obsess over UPF ratings more than any other market we export to. Our standard seamless set uses 75–85% nylon and 15–25% elastane, which gives a UPF 40+ rating without extra coatings. If you want UPF 50+, we print a fabric treatment at 190 GSM. Seamless sets at this weight work for both summer outdoor training and light winter layering. Third signal: set purchasing behavior. Australian consumers buy coordinated sets at a 2:1 ratio compared to buying separates, which mirrors the UK market. Our clients who list bra + legging bundles on Amazon AU report 30% higher average order value compared to separate listings. The catch: your inventory planning needs to match bra and legging sizes as a ratio. We usually recommend a 1:1.2 ratio for sizes S–M to L–XL, because Aussie leggings run tighter than American leggings in the thigh area. Don’t ignore the cargo shorts rotation. We manufacture seamless shorts sets for two Australian clients who sell through boutique fitness studios. They order in February and July. If you’re looking at a year-round program, split your MOQ into two drops: a summer drop (October shipment) and a winter drop (March shipment). Our low MOQ policies support this without forcing you into a container. ## Import duties & shipping Here’s the operational reality: seamless sets made of knitted synthetic fabric fall under HS code 6112.31 for women’s knitwear, or 6109.90 for tops. The duty rate into Australia under the China–Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) is essentially zero for most synthetic knitwear, as long as your supplier provides a Certificate of Origin. We generate this monthly for our Australian clients. The paperwork is simple. If your broker tells you it’s complicated, they are wrong. The real cost is freight, not duty. A 20-foot container from Ningbo to Sydney costs roughly USD 2,800–3,800 in early 2025, with transit time 18–24 days. Sea freight takes longer than you think. Our advice: use sea freight for your initial bulk, but air freight for your first launching stock. A size XS–L run of 300 sets (600 pieces) weighs about 120 kg packed. Air freight from Shanghai to Sydney runs USD 4.20–6.80 per kg, so your total air cost is around USD 500–800. That gets you to market in 7–10 days from order confirmation. If your first run sells out, the second sea shipment arrives in 6 weeks at roughly USD 0.40–0.60 per set for freight. | Shipment Type | Volume | Price Point | Time from Confirmation | |---|---|---|---| | Sample & small launch | 1–50 sets | USD 18–25 per set incl. air freight | 3–7 days (sampling) + 4–6 weeks (production) | | Medium sea shipment | 300–800 sets | USD 8.50–12 per set FOB | 6–8 weeks total | | Full container | 2,000+ sets | USD 6.50–9 per set FOB | 7–9 weeks total | One import note: Australia has strict biosecurity for packaging. Use no straw, no untreated wood pallets. We ship with polybags and cartons only. If your shipment has wooden pallets, they must be ISPM 15 marked. We mark all pallets automatically. ## Price tiers Let’s talk real numbers, not quoting brochure numbers. Our floor produces seamless sets with ultrasonic welding, no side seams, and 24/7 quality checks on the knitting machines. **Tier 1: Development & samples.** We can do 1-piece MOQ for sampling. Cost is USD 25–38 per set depending on complexity. A two-tone seamless bra with a jacquard logo band and matching leggings runs at the higher end. Sampling time: 3–7 days after we receive your tech pack or garment reference. We ship samples DHL or FedEx to anywhere in Australia, usually 5–7 days transit. **Tier 2: 300–600 pieces.** This is the sweet spot for gyms, boutique studios, and Amazon sellers who do 50 units per SKU per color. Pricing lands at USD 8.50–12 per set FOB Zhejiang. This includes fabric, production, trims, and basic packaging. Lead time: 4–6 weeks after sample confirm. We need 2 weeks for fabric knitting and 2–3 weeks for cutting, sewing, and finishing. Seamless machines are slow — a single machine produces about 10–15 sets per hour. If you order 600 sets, we allocate two machines and finish in 3 weeks. **Tier 3: 1,000+ pieces.** Container pricing drops to USD 6.50–9 per set. You gain more control over colorway exclusivity. At this volume, we can reserve a machine lineup and offer priority QC. Lead time is 5–6 weeks because we schedule your order as a standalone production block. **Tier 4: Private label with custom trims.** If you want custom printed heat transfer logos, silicone waistband printing, and personalized hangtags, add USD 1–2.50 per set. The cost includes the mold or silicone screen. Pantone color matching is free for most colors, yes, even the unusual ones. Our dye lab can replicate almost any Pantone or Australian team-specific color within 24–48 hours. Remember: those price tiers are FOB Zhejiang. Add GST and local delivery costs in Australia. If you use a 3PL that receives in Sydney, factor in local transport of about AUD 150–300 per pallet. ## Sizing preferences This is where most first-time Australian buyers stumble. Australian standard sizing runs smaller than US sizing in the same label size, particularly in the hips and thigh. Our default grade rule for seamless sets: - **Size 8 (AUS) = S.** Bra band 71–76 cm; legging waist 61–66 cm. - **Size 10 (AUS) = M.** Bra band 76–81 cm; legging waist 66–71 cm. - **Size 12 (AUS) = L.** Bra band 81–86 cm; legging waist 71–76 cm. If you come from the US market with a size medium bra of 34C–36B, that’s around an Australian size 10–12. We recommend our Australian clients specify a separate size chart, and we’ll adjust the knitting pattern accordingly. The critical measurement is legging rise and thigh circumference. Australian women generally prefer a mid-rise (22–24 cm) over a high-rise (25–27 cm) for gym wear, but prefer high-rise for lifestyle wear. Our seamless legging fabric at 200 GSM has 4-way stretch, so it covers both, but the butt seam placement changes based on which rise you choose. We also recommend a longer length: 80 cm inseam for standard, 84 cm for tall. Short inseam (72 cm) suits smaller frames, but few Australian clients ask for it. Our QC team measures every third piece from production, checking stitch density (a minimum of 12 stitches per inch for durability), pressure points under the bra band, and gusset placement. We don’t ship a lot of size-related returns because we fix the pattern before bulk. If you are unsure about sizing, order the sample in two sizes. A single sample costs the same as one piece: mailable, affordable, and practical. You can verify the fit with a local fit model for AUD 40–60 per hour, which is cheaper than receiving a full shipment of size 12 sets that nobody in your customer base fits. ## FAQ **What is the MOQ?** Our MOQ is 1 piece. No minimum per SKU, per color, or per order. You can order one sample set today, and a single-size test run of 5 pieces next week. This is possible because we own the factory floor and control production scheduling, unlike many trading companies that group orders from different suppliers. For production runs, we only ask that you pay a 50% deposit upfront and the balance before shipment. **What is the lead time to Australian?** Sampling: 3–7 days production + 5–7 days shipping. Medium orders of 300 sets: 4–6 weeks production after sample approval + 18–24 days sea freight or 3–5 days air freight. If you approve a sample by Monday, we can often ship your bulk order within 35 days using our standard production line. Urgent orders of 100 sets can be done in 3 weeks if we allocate a dedicated machine, but this adds about 15% to the unit price. **Can you ship direct to an Amazon FBA warehouse in Australia?** Yes. We prep and apply Amazon FBA labels to each unit and polybag, and ship directly to Australian FBA warehouses. We work with a freight forwarder who handles consol and clearance in Sydney. You don’t need a local warehouse or an import broker if you use our door-to-door service. You just provide the FBA shipment ID. **Do you do custom labels and logos?** Yes. We offer silicon printed, heat transferred, embroidered, and woven labels. We can print your logo on the center front of the bra, the waistband, or the back of the leg. Minimum for a custom waistband print is 30 sets. Hangtags, care labels, and neck labels are all included at no extra cost for orders above 300 sets. Below that, it’s an extra USD 30–60 for the entire order, not per piece. Our advice after 20 years in this industry: don’t let import complexity stop you from testing the Australian market. The shipping timeline is manageable once you understand ChAFTA. The sizing difference is solvable with one round of samples. And your competitor across the street is currently waiting an extra month because their supplier doesn’t own a factory floor. Ask us for a quote. We reply within 24 hours, and we’ll tell you exactly what the landed cost looks like before you commit. [Request a Quote](mailto:support@alpinario.com) --- *Related reading: [Wholesale sportswear](/wholesale-sportswear) · [Custom sportswear options](/custom-sportswear) · [Low MOQ sportswear](/low-moq-sportswear) · [Private label activewear](/private-label-activewear)*