How to Import Bath Towels to Italy From Bangladesh: Step-by-Step Guide

A bath towel order for Italy is settled at two ends at once: in Bangladesh, where the towel is woven, dyed and hemmed, and in Genoa, where the container is unloaded and the entry is filed. Every duty line in this guide ends with the same instruction: confirm it with your broker before you price or ship.

Ask your forwarder to quote Genoa and Livorno before you fix the delivery term. The Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority reports that the Ports of Genoa and Savona-Vado handled 2,999,486 TEUs in 2025, an all-time record, and the Port of Genova alone handled 2.4 million TEUs.¹

Why source bath towels from Bangladesh

Bangladesh Bank recorded home textile export receipts of USD 453.8 million and terry towel receipts of USD 18.7 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year, with terry towel receipts up 14.0 percent on the previous year.² Those figures describe banking-channel receipts, not capacity.

The practical case for Bangladesh is the terry chain itself. A mill that weaves terry, dyes it and finishes it under one roof can hold shade and pile consistency across a color range. Ask whether the mill already sells towels into the European Union.

Do not source bath towels from a garment factory that offers towels as a side line. Write the brief for retail or hotel use, not both at once.

Find and verify suppliers

Where do Italian buyers start the search for bath towel suppliers in Bangladesh?

Start with a written towel brief, not with supplier names. Fix the towel before anyone quotes: type and size set, fiber content, GSM as your own target, pile construction, edge and hem finish, border, color or print, the Italian label set, and packing. Then shortlist suppliers whose current ranges include terry bath towels. Browse suppliers on Exportain before you send an inquiry.

Send every candidate the identical brief and ask for the same reply format: GSM and pile assumed, towel size and weight, fiber content, price inclusions, validity, and the minimum per size and per color. Ask early about Italy: has the supplier shipped to Italy or another European Union member state, can it supply labels in Italian, and can it provide a statement on origin with its REX number?

How do you verify a supplier before you pay?

Verification has three layers, each checked before payment. The first is company documents: trade license, export registration and association membership, checked so that name, address and bank account name agree across every document. The second is capability: the weaving and dyeing route, capacity, and a finished towel from current production in your size and GSM.

The third layer is payment discipline. Keep payments to the company account named in the documents, never to a personal account, and verify any change of bank details through a separate channel. On Exportain, supplier profiles carry document and photo review badges. Exportain states that verification is a document and photo review, not a factory inspection, and that a badge is not a guarantee of capacity, quality or delivery.³ Exportain is not a party to the contract for goods, and it does not inspect goods, book freight or clear customs.³

MOQ, pricing and samples

What is the typical MOQ for bath towels from Bangladesh?

There is no single typical minimum order quantity for bath towels from Bangladesh. The minimum is set per towel size and usually per color, because terry fabric is woven and dyed in batches. Ask how each minimum splits by size, color and print, and whether it is counted in towels, dozens, sets or cartons.

How is the price built, and how should you compare quotes?

Yarn and terry weaving usually form the main cost element in a cotton bath towel, followed by dyeing or printing, cutting and hemming, finishing, testing, labeling and packing, plus the mill margin. GSM drives yarn use, so two towels of the same size at different GSM levels are different products. Border work, embroidery, a hanging loop and retail packing each add operations, and each should appear as a named line or be confirmed as included.

Compare quotes only on the same basis: same size set, GSM, fiber content, pile, hem and border, color or print, delivery term and packing. Ask what is excluded, including the Italian label set. Convert every quote to the same delivery term, then to landed cost.

Which samples do you need, and how do you approve them?

A development sample shows whether the mill can form the pile evenly, hold the size and finish the hem and border cleanly. A pre-production sample, made in the actual production yarn, GSM, color or print and finish, is the sample you approve for bulk.

Test the samples the way an Italian customer will use them. Measure before and after washing following the care label, weigh the towel, and wash a dark color with a white towel to check color transfer. For hotel use, agree the laundry treatment separately. Approve in writing and keep one sealed counter-sample of each towel type.

Quality control and certifications needed

What do GSM, pile and absorbency checks cover?

GSM is the weight of the towel fabric in grams per square meter. It is a specification you set, not a quality grade on its own, and a high GSM alone does not guarantee a towel that dries well. Check GSM by weighing towels from different cartons. Pile checks cover the looped surface: loops even in height, pile dense enough that the ground fabric does not show through, and loops that do not pull easily. Test absorbency and shedding by the agreed method and condition, and re-test after washing where the order requires it.

Agree the inspection method and defect limits before production, and set your own limits rather than adopting another buyer's figure. ISO 2859-1:2026 defines a system of acceptance sampling plans for inspection by attributes, and its summary states that AQL stands for acceptance quality limit, the maximum average percentage of defective items considered acceptable during random sampling, used to determine sample sizes and acceptance and rejection thresholds.⁴ Set the AQL level and sample size in the purchase order and draw the sample across sizes, colors and cartons. See the bath towels quality control checklist for the checks at each stage.

Which label rules apply to bath towels sold in Italy?

Settle fiber labeling at sampling stage, because the label wording is also the composition the classification is built on. For a multi-fiber towel, Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 states that a textile product shall be labelled or marked with the name and percentage by weight of all constituent fibres in descending order.⁵

Article 16 of the same regulation requires fiber composition descriptions to be easily legible, visible and clear, and clearly visible to the consumer before purchase, including where the purchase is made by electronic means.⁶ It also states that labeling or marking shall be provided in the official language or languages of the member state where the products are made available to the consumer, unless that member state provides otherwise.⁶ For towels sold in Italy, that means Italian fiber wording on the label and in the online listing.

ISO 3758:2023 establishes a system of graphic symbols for marking textile articles with information on the most severe treatments that do not cause irreversible damage during textile care.⁷ The care label uses a sequence of symbols in the order of five main treatments: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional textile care.⁷ Use the symbols in that order and set each one from test results on the actual towel.

Which certifications do you actually need?

What you need follows your customer: a retailer, hotel group or brand may name a specific test or scheme in its supplier manual. Name any such requirement in the brief and check the matching certificate's scope, product, issuing body and date.

OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 is the certification Italian towel buyers ask about most often. Hohenstein states that the test criteria depend above all on intended use, and that the more direct the skin contact, the stricter the requirements.⁸ Towels fall in Product Class II, for textiles whose surface comes into direct contact with the skin, a class the Hohenstein page lists as including towels.⁸ A STANDARD 100 certificate is valid for 12 months and can be renewed annually.⁸ Check the certificate number, class, articles covered and expiry date.

Incoterms, shipping and transit time

Which delivery term should a first Italian order use?

Under Incoterms 2020, each rule tells you where delivery takes place, and the risk of loss or damage passes from seller to buyer at the same point and time as delivery.⁹ In only two rules, CIP and CIF, must the seller provide the buyer with insurance. In all rules but EXW the seller must carry out export formalities, while in all rules but DDP the buyer must carry out import formalities.⁹ That division is why the Genoa entry stays with the Italian buyer under most towel terms.

For a container shipment from Chattogram to Genoa, weigh FCA at the named terminal against FOB at Chattogram. The four sea rules, FAS, FOB, CFR and CIF, are only intended for port-to-port bulk or break-bulk shipments and are not suitable for container shipments in their current form, because a container is handed to the carrier before it is loaded on board.⁹ Under FCA the seller delivers the goods to the carrier, while under FOB the seller must place the goods on board the vessel.⁹

How long does shipping take from Chattogram to Genoa?

There is no single typical transit time for bath towels from Bangladesh to Italy, and this guide states none. Sea freight is the standard route for bulk towel orders and it takes weeks rather than days, varying by sailing schedule, routing, transshipment and season. Work backward from the date the towels must be on sale, and confirm the shipment date only after sample approval.

Import duty, taxes and documents

How are bath towels classified for Italian duty?

Duty follows the classification of each towel type in the European Union tariff, not the supplier's product name. The Harmonised System is an international commodity classification of approximately 5,000 six-digit product categories, organized in a hierarchy of sections, chapters, headings and sub-headings, and countries subdivide the six-digit categories further for their own tariffs.¹⁰ The Combined Nomenclature of the European Union uses eight-digit codes built on that structure.¹⁰

The indicative heading for bath towels is 6302, which covers bed linen, table linen, toilet linen and kitchen linen. The tariff heading page opened for this guide lists toilet linen and kitchen linen of terry towelling or similar terry fabrics, of cotton, under 6302 60, split into knitted or crocheted towels and other towels.¹¹ Other towels fall in 6302 91 for cotton, 6302 93 for man-made fibers and 6302 99 for other textile materials.¹¹ Treat every heading here as indicative until your broker confirms it.

What import duty applies in Italy, and what must you confirm with your broker?

Confirm every duty line with your broker before you commit to a selling price. The tariff heading page opened for this guide shows third-country duty of 12.00 percent for both 6302 60 lines, knitted or crocheted and other, and 12.00 percent for most other 6302 lines, with 6.90 percent for certain nonwoven lines.¹¹ Confirm the current rate for your exact code and entry date with your broker. Confirm every duty line with your broker before you price at any rate.

The Everything But Arms scheme is a special arrangement for least developed countries, granting full duty-free and quota-free access to the EU Single Market for all products except arms and ammunition.¹² A preference for your shipment depends on the origin rules and the proof of origin, so price without the preference until your broker confirms it in writing.

How does the statement on origin work for a towel shipment?

Origin proof runs through the Registered Exporter system. The European Commission states that the REX system allows certification of origin based on self-certification, that an exporter must be a registered exporter in the database of its national competent authorities to make out a statement on origin, and that registration produces a REX number.¹³

Proof of origin certifies where a product was made, and it is essential for claiming preferential treatment such as reduced or zero tariffs.¹⁴ Under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences, exporters registered in REX make out a statement on origin on the invoice or another commercial document, and unregistered exporters may do so only for a consignment whose total value, based on the ex-works price, does not exceed EUR 6,000.¹⁴ Most commercial towel orders exceed that value, so confirm REX registration at order stage. Exporters must keep copies of proof of origin documents for at least three years.¹⁴

What does a Genoa customs entry need from an Italian importer?

An Italian importer needs an EORI number for customs declarations. The EORI number is an operator identification number valid throughout the European Union, and since Regulation (EC) No 312/2009 came into force on 1 July 2009 it has been a prerequisite for customs clearance in the European Union.¹⁵ Hold the number before the first shipment and give it to your Genoa broker.

Import VAT is separate from duty, and its base and recovery must be confirmed before the first shipment. The standard VAT rate in Italy is 22 percent, with reduced rates of 10 percent and 5 percent and a super-reduced rate of 4 percent for other goods and services.¹⁶ Plan on 22 percent for towels unless your tax adviser confirms a different treatment in writing.

The standard import set is the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and proof of origin where a preference is claimed. Name each towel type plainly on its own invoice line. Quantities, weights and carton counts must agree across the invoice, packing list and bill of lading.

Landed cost example

A landed cost is the full cost of one towel, ready to sell from your Italian warehouse, excluding the VAT recovery treatment. Every number below is an example figure only, not a quote.

Example figures: 4,500 cotton terry bath towels, 60 by 110 centimeters, FCA Chattogram, sea freight to Genoa, duty at the 12.00 percent schedule line shown for the 6302 60 lines. Confirm every duty line with your broker.

Import VAT is shown separately. For this worked example only, applying 22 percent to the example customs value plus duty, $3.58 per towel, gives $0.79 per towel as an example figure, for a total cash cost at import of $4.75 per towel in this example.¹⁶ Confirm the VAT base with your broker or tax adviser before you use this example. If your broker confirms the EBA preference, the duty line falls to zero and the total excluding import VAT falls to $3.58 per towel. See landed cost for imports from Bangladesh for the full method.

Step-by-step import checklist for Genoa entry

1. Write the towel brief: type and size set, fiber content, GSM, pile, hem and border, color or print, Italian fiber wording, care symbols and packing.

2. Classify every towel type from heading 6302 and the 6302 60 line, and confirm each code and duty line with your broker.

3. Shortlist mills whose range includes terry bath towels, and request quotes on the identical brief and delivery term.

4. Verify the supplier in three layers: company documents, towel capacity and current production, and payment discipline.

5. Order samples in stages, wash and measure them, check the Italian label set, and approve a pre-production sample of each towel type.

6. Confirm the origin position: origin rule, supplier REX number, statement on origin and the EUR 6,000 threshold.

7. Confirm the EORI number, appoint your Genoa broker, and confirm the VAT base and recovery treatment.

8. Confirm the order in writing: purchase order, pro forma invoice, delivery and payment terms, inspection plan, labeling, packing and shipment date.

9. Inspect during production and on packed goods against the approved samples, drawing the sample across sizes, colors and cartons.

10. Ship from Chattogram to Genoa, clear customs with the confirmed code and statement on origin, and reconcile the actual landed cost.

Next steps on Exportain

Read how to import from Bangladesh for the full process, then work through the landed cost method with your broker's confirmed duty line.

Post a free RFQ on Exportain and get quotes from Bangladeshi suppliers → https://exportain.com/rfqs

What is the typical MOQ for bath towels from Bangladesh?

There is no single typical minimum. The minimum is set per towel size and usually per color or print, because terry fabric is woven and dyed in batches and a cutting and packing plan is set up per size range. Ask each supplier how its minimum splits by size, color and print.

How long does shipping take?

Production time and transit time are separate, and neither has a single typical figure. Sea freight from Chattogram to Genoa takes weeks rather than days and varies by sailing schedule, routing, transshipment and season, and clearance at Genoa and inland delivery add further time.

What import duty applies?

Confirm every duty line with your broker before you price or ship. The indicative heading for bath towels is 6302, with cotton terry towels listed under 6302 60, and the tariff heading page opened for this guide shows third-country duty of 12.00 percent for both 6302 60 lines.¹¹ The Everything But Arms scheme grants full duty-free and quota-free access to the EU Single Market for all products except arms and ammunition, as a scheme-level arrangement for least developed countries, but a preference for your shipment depends on the origin rules and the proof of origin.¹²

How do I verify a supplier?

Check company documents first, so that the name, address and bank account agree across the trade license, export registration and invoices. Then check capability: weaving and dyeing route, towel capacity, and a finished towel from current production. Keep payments to the company account named in the documents, and treat any profile badge as a document and photo review, not a factory inspection or a guarantee.³