Every “why source from Pakistan” and every “China vs Pakistan Sourcing” article says the same thing: China is expensive now, Pakistan is cheap, switch. That’s not really true, and buyers who go in expecting it usually get burned. Here’s a straighter answer to whether Pakistan actually makes sense as part of a China+1 strategy.
Why US Buyers Are Rethinking China-Only Sourcing
Tariff exposure on Chinese goods has stayed elevated and unpredictable through 2026, and “China+1” — keeping a China supplier while building a second sourcing base elsewhere — has gone from a hedge some companies tried to a fairly standard practice. But most of that diversification has gone to Vietnam and Bangladesh, not Pakistan. That’s worth being upfront about before making any pitch about why Pakistan deserves a look too.
Where Pakistan Actually Competes With China (And Where It Doesn’t)
Pakistan is not a general substitute for Chinese manufacturing across the board — the supply base, factory count, and category range aren’t comparable yet. Where it does compete seriously is narrower and more specific: sportswear, sports equipment, leather goods, and gloves, particularly out of Sialkot, which has decades of specialization in exactly those categories and genuinely deep technical know-how in them. If your product falls in one of those categories, you’re comparing Pakistan against a real strength. If it doesn’t, you’re probably better served by Vietnam or Bangladesh, and it’s worth saying that plainly instead of pretending otherwise.
How Tariff Exposure Compares in China vs Pakistan Sourcing
US tariff rates on Chinese goods have been running considerably higher than rates on Pakistani goods through 2026 — the Congressional Research Service estimated an average rate around the mid-30% range on Chinese imports as of mid-2026, though it varies heavily by product category and changes often enough that any number printed today should be treated as a snapshot, not a fact. Pakistan hasn’t faced anywhere near that level of blanket tariff pressure. That gap is real, but it shouldn’t be the only reason you switch — a cheaper duty rate on a product your new supplier can’t actually make well isn’t a win.
What Vietnam and Bangladesh Have That Pakistan Is Still Building
Being straight about this matters: Vietnam and Bangladesh have more mature general apparel manufacturing infrastructure, larger factory networks, and more buyers who’ve already run the playbook of moving volume there. If you need broad general apparel capacity at scale right now, they’re the more proven move. Pakistan’s case is stronger when you’re sourcing something in its specific wheelhouse, or when you want a second option rather than a full replacement.
How to Test Pakistan as a China+1 Option Without Betting Your Whole Order
Don’t move your whole program on a pitch. Run a trial order in a category where Pakistan’s strength is real — sportswear, gloves, leather goods, sports equipment — with proper vendor verification done before any deposit goes out, and quality inspection before it ships. That gives you a real data point on lead time, quality, and communication before you decide whether to scale it up.
What to Check Before You Place a Trial Order
Confirm your product’s actual duty treatment rather than assuming a rate, get compliance documentation sorted before production so it’s not a surprise later, and build in a realistic timeline — first orders with a new country almost always take longer than the pitch suggests. Broader trade-flow context, if you want it, is covered well in McKinsey’s 2026 update on global trade geometry and CEPR’s research on the US import reallocation away from China.
If your product sits in sportswear, leather goods, or sports equipment and you want to test Pakistan properly rather than gamble on a cold pitch, get in touch — a verified trial order is a better first move than a full commitment either way.