Hat Manufacturer FAQ

Forty-three questions. Straight answers.

MOQs, sampling, lead times, materials, and compliance — from the team at Jiuwang Flax Century, hat and woven bag manufacturer since 1987, with factories in Wenling, China and Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

N° 01

Ordering & MOQ

What is your MOQ for custom straw hats?
MOQs start at 150 pieces per SKU, on any of our 17 materials. Typical MOQs are 300 pieces for standard hat styles such as straw and bucket hats, and 500 pieces for braid constructions. MOQ is counted per SKU, so color splits within one style are quoted per SKU — each color starts at 150 pieces. We work with small businesses and startups — special requirements are reviewed case by case.
Can I place a small trial order before committing to full production?
Yes. MOQs start at 150 pieces per SKU — an entry level built for brands validating a new fiber or silhouette before scaling to the typical 300-piece MOQ for standard styles (500 pieces for braid constructions). Trial orders run on the same production lines and pass the same final inspection as full orders, so the quality you approve at 150 pieces is the quality you get at 10,000.
Do you work with small brands and startups?
Yes. Alongside programs for Costco, Target, and Walmart, we produce for independent labels. MOQs start at 150 pieces per SKU, with the same 5–7 working day sampling and OEKO-TEX-tested materials at any volume — special requirements are reviewed case by case. Our design team develops 500+ new styles every month — thousands a year — and can adapt an existing pattern to shortcut development for a first collection.
How do I get a quote, and how fast do you respond?
Email info@cn-hat.com or WhatsApp +1 717 216 1984 with a reference photo, sketch, or tech pack, plus your target quantity and market. We reply within 24 hours with a tailored proposal covering price, MOQ, sampling plan, and lead time. Quotes remain valid for 30 days.
We've never imported from China before — how does the whole process work?
A typical first program: email us a reference photo or sketch, and we reply within 24 hours with a quote covering price, MOQ, and lead time — valid for 30 days. Next come material swatches, then a 5–7 working day sample, with revisions in 3–7 working days. On approval and a 30% deposit, bulk production runs 30–45 days, ends with a final inspection against your sealed sample, and ships FOB, CIF, or DDP. With DDP we handle duties and deliver straight to your warehouse door — the simplest route for a first import — and we walk you through freight and paperwork at every step.
Do you sell ready-made hats from stock, or is everything made to order?
We are primarily a made-to-order OEM/ODM factory, and to protect our clients' designs we never resell customer overruns. We do, however, keep stock of our own in-house designs — email info@cn-hat.com with your market and price point and we will share what is currently available. And with a style archive of hundreds of thousands of designs, a proven style can be re-run to your spec and label quickly.
N° 02

Sampling & Lead Times

How long does it take to get a custom hat sample?
5–7 working days from confirmed specs and artwork. The sample room sits inside our own factory, so pattern makers, material stock (17 fibers on hand), and embroidery machines are all under one roof — no outsourcing delays. Revisions typically take 3–7 working days, and the first three revision rounds are free; a major redesign beyond that is simply quoted as a new development. Once you approve the sample, it becomes the sealed production reference.
Do you charge a sample fee?
For a single sample piece we generally charge no sample fee — you just provide your courier account for the shipping. If the style needs a brand-new mold, a $300 mold fee applies and is refunded against your bulk order. Material swatch sets are usually free of charge and delivered within 7 days. Every cost is confirmed in writing with your quote before we start.
Can I get material swatches before sampling?
Yes. Tell us your style direction and target price, and our materials team curates a tailored swatch set with a written recommendation document, delivered within 7 days. The set can span any of our 17 fibers — from Madagascar raffia to in-house paper braid — so you can compare hand feel, weight, and finish before committing to a full 5–7 working day sample.
What is your production lead time for bulk orders?
Lead times are quoted per project rather than per category: most bulk orders run 30–45 days from sample approval and deposit, with complex or larger programs running around two months. With 8 million+ pieces of combined annual capacity across our Wenling and Phnom Penh factories, quoted dates hold even in the pre-summer peak — tell us your in-store date and we plan backward from it.
Can you handle large or urgent orders?
Yes. With 8 million+ pieces of annual capacity — 350 workers in Wenling, China plus 500 workers on 4 production lines in Phnom Penh, Cambodia — we can run large programs in parallel across two sites. Urgent orders are accepted, with pricing reviewed case by case; tell us your in-store date and we will work the calendar backward.
What happens if bulk production doesn't match the approved sample?
We do not allow bulk production to deviate from the approved sample — full stop. The sealed sample is the contractual reference, and a strict mechanism enforces it: incoming-material inspection, inline checks, and a final random inspection to AQL 2.5, all judged against the sealed sample. We also support inspection before release — your own team or a third party such as SGS, Intertek, or QIMA — so goods leave the factory only after the match is verified.
N° 03

Customization

Can you put my logo on the hats?
Yes. In-house decoration includes embroidery, screen printing, heat transfer printing, and debossed leather patches, plus private-label sewn-in labels and hangtags in a range of options — we also accept customer-nominated trim and packaging suppliers. Send a vector file (AI, PDF, or EPS) and we confirm placement, size, and thread colors on your 5–7 working day sample before anything goes to production.
Can you develop a hat from a sketch, photo, or tech pack?
Yes — we run full OEM and ODM development. Send a sketch, reference photo, or tech pack; our team develops 500+ new styles every month — thousands a year — so most briefs match an existing block we can modify. First prototype ships in 5–7 working days, then we iterate until you approve.
Do you offer private label manufacturing?
Yes — private label is the core of our business. Retailers including T.J.Maxx, Urban Outfitters, and Anthropologie sell hats we make under their own brands. We produce your sewn-in labels, hangtags, and custom retail packaging in a range of options, and we accept customer-nominated trim and packaging suppliers. Your designs stay confidential. We are happy to review and sign customer NDAs — reviewed case by case.
Can you match a specific Pantone color?
For synthetic and paper fibers — poly braid, our patented ribbon, paper braid — yes: these are produced in-house, so we control dye lots directly, and our own Paper Color Swatch book (downloadable on the catalog page) makes shade selection concrete. Pantone matching is supported, with tolerances agreed during sampling. Natural fibers like raffia, seagrass, and wheat straw carry inherent shade variation, so those are approved against a physical shade band rather than a Pantone number.
What artwork files do you need for embroidery or printing?
Vector files — AI, EPS, or PDF — are ideal for embroidery, screen printing, and heat transfer. A high-resolution PNG works for early quoting if vectors aren't ready. Stitch density, print method, placement, and sizing are all confirmed on your 5–7 working day sample, so you see exactly how the logo sits on the crown or brim before anything goes to production.
Can you develop an exclusive material or braid for my brand?
Yes — this is where in-house production pays off. With 5,000+ braiding machines, our own paper-yarn line, and thousands of raw materials in stock, custom braid patterns, fiber blends, and colorways are developed during sampling rather than sourced from third parties. Exclusivity for a developed material is open to discussion — tell us your program and we will work out the terms together.
Can you make custom sizes, including kids' hats?
Yes. Size specs are set in your tech pack — standard adult runs, extended sizes, or kids' sizing. With over a thousand hat blocks in-house, most size and crown-shape requests use an existing block at no charge; a brand-new custom block is $300, refunded against your bulk order.
N° 04

Materials

What materials do you use for your hats?
We work with 17 fibers across three collections: seven naturals (wheat straw, ramie braid, palm straw, raffia braid, raffia crochet, seagrass, rush straw), five synthetics (poly braid, our 1993-patented ribbon, Rainier, pearl fabric, cotton), and five paper types (paper braid, fine paper braid, poly paper braid, paper crochet, paper cloth). Each is available with MOQs starting at 150 pieces per SKU.
What is paper braid, and how is it different from natural straw?
Paper braid is braided yarn spun from twisted paper — lighter, more uniform, and easier to block into consistent shapes than natural straw, usually at a lower unit cost. We produce it in-house in four variants, including fine paper braid for dressier silhouettes. Natural straws (wheat, palm, raffia) give organic texture and premium positioning; many buyers run both tiers in one line.
Do you offer sustainable or eco-friendly materials?
Yes. Options include recycled PET (rPET) fabric, cotton, and natural plant fibers such as wheat straw, seagrass, and raffia — with OEKO-TEX-tested materials across the line. If your retailer has a preferred-fiber policy, send it over — we will map our 17 materials against it.
Where do you source your raw materials?
Wheat straw and rush come from Northern China, ramie and seagrass from Southern China and Southeast Asia, raffia from Madagascar, and palm straw from tropical Asia. All synthetic and paper fibers — poly braid, ribbon, paper braid — are made in-house, which shortens material lead times and keeps dye-lot control in our hands rather than a supplier's.
Do you also make felt hats, fabric hats, and bags?
Yes. Beyond straw, braid, and bucket styles, we produce felt hats, ribbon hats, and cloth hats in a range of fabrics, plus a bag line of 18 woven styles and placemats. One supplier can cover your spring straw program and your fall felt program — same vendor code, same QC system, one audit to manage.
Can you supply certified recycled content, such as GRS rPET?
Recycled options, including rPET, are available on request — our standard poly braid is high-tenacity polyester, and recycled content is specified per program rather than assumed. If your program requires certified recycled content with GRS or RCS documentation, we can pursue the certification to support it: state the requirement at quotation and we will confirm the route and paperwork before you commit.
Are natural straw hats biodegradable, and can packaging be plastic-free?
Our natural fibers — wheat straw, palm, raffia, seagrass, rush, and ramie — are plant-based and biodegradable, and paper braid is spun from paper yarn. On packaging, we already run plastic-reduced solutions in production: paper board and paper hat supports replace plastic inserts, with recycled cartons available. Send us your packaging policy and we will quote against it.
N° 05

Quality & Certifications

What certifications does your factory hold?
Factory-level: BSCI, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, Sedex membership with SMETA audits, Higg, and — at the Phnom Penh site — WRAP and BCI. Our materials are OEKO-TEX certified. Product and final inspections are carried out by third-party firms such as SGS, Intertek, and QIMA. Email info@cn-hat.com for the latest certificates and audit documentation.
Are your hats OEKO-TEX certified?
Yes, our materials are OEKO-TEX certified. This matters for hats because they sit against skin and hair: OEKO-TEX testing screens for harmful substances including azo dyes and formaldehyde. Certificates and audit documentation are available on request — contact info@cn-hat.com.
How do you control quality during production?
Under our ISO 9001 system plus our own factory QC regime: incoming material inspection, inline checks at weaving, blocking, and finishing, then a final random inspection to AQL 2.5 as standard (a different AQL can be agreed per order). Third-party final inspection through SGS, Intertek, or QIMA is welcome — all three already work at our factories. The approved sample is sealed and referenced at every checkpoint.
Can your factory pass a social compliance audit for Walmart or Target?
Yes. Our standing audits — BSCI, SMETA via Sedex, and WRAP and BCI at the Cambodia factory — meet the requirements of the major US retailers we supply. If your retailer requires a fresh or program-specific audit, both sites are audit-ready. Certificates and audit documentation are available on request — contact info@cn-hat.com.
Can you arrange product testing — UPF, colorfastness, or my market's requirements?
Yes. Testing runs through third-party labs such as SGS against your target market's requirements, with the test plan agreed at quotation — and we keep current reports on file: email info@cn-hat.com for the latest test reports. Sun protection is home ground for us — our UPF 50+ ribbon hat construction dates back to a 1993 patent — and OEKO-TEX-tested materials cover harmful-substance screening across the line.
Can you keep specs consistent on a repeat program, season after season?
Yes — consistency is mostly a supply-chain question, and ours is in-house. Braid, ribbon, and paper yarn come off our own machines, so a re-order uses the same material source and dye control as the original rather than a new supplier's approximation. Your sealed sample and spec sheet stay on file, and with a style archive of hundreds of thousands of designs, re-running last season's hat to the same standard is routine.
N° 06

Shipping & Payment

What payment terms do you accept?
Standard terms are a 30% deposit with the 70% balance against the bill of lading copy — confirmed on the pro forma invoice before production starts. For small trial and sample orders we also accept credit card payment, with a 5% processing fee. One safety note: our bank details never change by email — if you ever receive “updated” account information, verify by phone at +86 576 86832988 before wiring anything.
What shipping terms do you offer — FOB, CIF, or DDP?
We quote FOB Ningbo for China-made orders and FOB Phnom Penh for Cambodia-made orders; CIF and DDP are also available depending on destination. With production in both China and Cambodia, you choose the origin at order placement, and we handle export documentation from either country — certificates of origin included.
Can you ship from outside China to reduce US tariff exposure?
Yes. Our Phnom Penh, Cambodia factory — 8,000 sq m, 500 workers, 4 production lines, 5 million+ pieces a year — produces genuine Cambodia-origin goods with full documentation. Many US buyers route programs there to manage China tariff exposure. The site holds WRAP certification, and programs can be split between Wenling and Phnom Penh as duty rules evolve. Cambodia-made orders are quoted FOB Phnom Penh.
How long from order to delivery in total?
For small orders, plan on 45–60 days door to door: sampling (5–7 working days), bulk production (30–45 days), then freight depending on route and incoterm — DDP by air runs shortest, sea freight longest. Larger or complex programs need more time; your quotation includes the full calendar, back-planned from your in-store date.
Can hats, bags, and placemats ship together in one order?
Yes. Hats, an 18-style straw and braid bag line, and woven placemats are produced under one roof, so a mixed program consolidates into one shipment with one vendor code, one QC system, and one set of export documents — useful for coordinated seasonal drops where the tote and the hat need to hit the shelf together.
Can you prepare packaging for Amazon FBA or e-commerce fulfillment?
Yes — we have run Amazon FBA programs and handle FBA prep professionally: polybags, barcode labeling, hangtags, and carton markings all follow your routing guide or marketplace requirements. For e-commerce economics, packable and foldable styles — nylon buckets, soft braids — cut dimensional weight and survive single-parcel shipping better than blocked rigid brims. Send your brief and we will flag the e-commerce-friendly constructions.
Do you export to Europe, and can you support EU documentation?
Yes — we ship to most European countries, quoting CIF or DDP to European ports alongside FOB. OEKO-TEX-tested materials cover harmful-substance screening, and we support market-specific testing — REACH-related or otherwise — through third-party labs. Export documentation, including certificates of origin from China or Cambodia, is handled by us.
N° 07

Factory & Audits

Where are your factories located?
Two sites. Wenling, Zhejiang, China: 12,000 sq m, 350 employees, 3 million+ pieces a year, at 17 Guangchang Road, Ruoheng Town. Phnom Penh, Cambodia: 8,000 sq m, 500 employees, 4 production lines, 5 million+ pieces a year, in Kamboul District. Combined capacity is 8 million+ pieces annually.
Can I visit your factory before placing an order?
Yes, buyers are welcome at both sites — many retail programs start with a walk-through. Email info@cn-hat.com or WhatsApp +1 717 216 1984 to schedule; we confirm within 24 hours. Can't travel? We run live video factory tours on request.
How long has Jiuwang been making hats?
Since 1987 — nearly four decades of hatmaking in Wenling, Zhejiang. Milestones along the way include our patented ribbon-hat construction in 1993 and the opening of our Phnom Penh, Cambodia factory in 2025. Today the company employs 850 people across two countries and has 8 million+ pieces of annual capacity across hats and bags.
Which brands and retailers do you supply?
Major retailers we supply include Costco, Walmart, Target, Lowe's, Tractor Supply Co., T.J.Maxx, and Marshalls, alongside designer labels such as Issey Miyake and a long list of independent brands. Most of this work is private label — their name on our production — which is exactly how we can work with your brand too.

Didn't find your question? Email info@cn-hat.com or send an inquiry — a real person replies within 24 hours.