A practical 2026 guide for Brisbane fitness and activewear brands sourcing from Vietnam — covering performance fabric specs, MOQs, real landed costs in AUD and supplier verification.
Last updated: 5 July 2026
In short: To import activewear and sportswear from Vietnam to Australia, lock in your fabric specification (weight, stretch, moisture-wicking performance) before you talk price, verify the factory's export experience with performance fabrics specifically, and budget for the full landed cost in AUD. Vietnam builds activewear for some of the biggest sportswear brands on the planet, so the manufacturing quality is there — Brisbane fitness and activewear brands just need to bring the right specs and the right MOQ expectations to the table.
Vietnam has become one of the world's major hubs for performance apparel, supplying activewear and sportswear for global brands thanks to strong technical fabric know-how, competitive labour costs and preferential trade access into markets like the EU and increasingly the US. For Australian brands, sourcing direct from Vietnamese factories cuts out the local wholesale markup that eats into activewear margins.
It's also a smart diversification play. Many Australian brands are running a China-plus-Vietnam strategy for apparel specifically, spreading risk across two manufacturing bases while tapping Vietnam's genuine specialisation in technical sportswear fabrics. Epic Sourcing clients save around 77% on average versus their previous supply arrangements — activewear is no exception once you're buying direct from the factory floor.
Vietnamese factories are strong across leggings and tights, sports bras, compression wear, performance tees and singlets, tracksuits, gym hoodies, swimwear and yoga wear. Many factories also handle full private-label programs, from fabric sourcing through to finished, packaged product.
The categories that need the most upfront spec work are anything with compression or four-way stretch (fabric composition and elastane percentage really matter) and moisture-wicking performance tees, where the finish and fabric treatment determine whether the garment actually performs.
This is where most first-time activewear importers lose time and money. Nail down fabric composition (typically a polyester-elastane or nylon-elastane blend), GSM (fabric weight), stretch and recovery performance, and any finish like moisture-wicking or anti-odour treatment — in writing, in your tech pack, before a single sample is cut.
Sizing is the other trap. Vietnamese factories size to their own regional blocks by default, so you need to supply your own graded size chart and measurements for the Australian market, then check your first sample set against it piece by piece. Skipping this step is the single most common reason activewear ranges come back wrong.
Your landed cost is the factory price plus freight, insurance, duty, GST, clearance and local delivery. Here's a simplified example for a shipment of leggings landing in Brisbane.
Cost componentAmount (AUD)600 leggings @ $7.80 FOB$4,680Sea freight (LCL, Vietnam → Brisbane)$820Marine insurance$70Import duty (apparel, ~5% of customs value)$234GST (10% of value + duty + freight)$580Customs brokerage + port fees$550Delivery to warehouse$230Total landed cost~$7,164Landed cost per unit~$11.94
Against a typical Australian retail of $50–$90 per pair of leggings, the margin gives you real room for marketing spend and returns. Figures are illustrative — duty rates depend on your HS code and fibre composition, and MOQs on custom prints or compression fabrics tend to run higher.
Look specifically for factories with existing sportswear and performance-fabric export experience — a generic garment factory that mostly sews basic tees won't necessarily handle compression fabrics or technical finishes well. Ask for client references in activewear specifically, request fabric composition certificates, and always order a full sample run before committing to bulk production.
Because fit and fabric performance are the whole product for activewear, pre-shipment inspection needs to cover stretch recovery and stitching quality, not just visual checks. Build this into your supplier agreement from the first order.
Yes. Vietnam manufactures performance apparel for many of the world's biggest sportswear brands, so the technical capability for compression and moisture-wicking fabrics is well established. You still need to verify the specific factory, not just the country.
MOQs commonly range from 300 to 1,000 units per style and colour, and are higher again for custom prints, dye lots or technical fabrics. Combining several styles with one factory can help you hit a workable MOQ sooner.
Sea freight into Brisbane typically runs 14–22 days port to port — noticeably faster than most China routes — plus customs clearance. Air freight is an option for urgent restocks but adds significant cost.
Yes, typically around 5% of the customs value plus 10% GST, though the exact rate depends on the HS code and fibre composition of your garments. Confirm the classification before you place a bulk order.
Yes. Most factories offer private-label programs including custom prints, colours, woven labels and swing tags. Custom sublimation prints usually carry higher MOQs than solid-colour garments.
Epic Sourcing has sourced over 20,000 products for 300+ happy Australian businesses, with bilingual teams on the ground in China and Vietnam and offices in five countries. We vet activewear factories, lock down fabric and sizing specs in a proper tech pack, manage QC and inspection, and handle the sourcing and logistics end to end — including clothing manufacturing and product development if you're starting from a concept rather than a finished spec. If you're building out a wider product range, our guide to importing toys and games from China follows the same core playbook, and our FCL vs LCL guide will help you plan your first shipment. Ready to build your activewear range properly? Give us a bell and book a discovery call.
