How to Import Hotel Linen From Bangladesh to USA: Step-by-Step Guide
Hotel linen from Bangladesh to the USA, bought by property: bed mix and par stock quantities, hotel supplier checks, commercial laundry wash tests, FTC labels, HTS 6302 duty rates, ISF entry and landed cost per room set.
Short answer
To import hotel linen from Bangladesh to the USA, build a property specification by bed mix and room count, shortlist mills that already serve hotels, set quantities by par stock per room, and wash-test samples under the property laundry program. Classify each piece under heading 6302, confirm the duty rate and label wording with your broker, and file the Importer Security Filing at least 24 hours before loading.
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Key takeaways
Hotel linen has no single code: heading 6302 is coded piece by piece, and the printed cotton trim line 6302.21.50 carries a general rate of 20.9 percent against 6.7 percent on the plain line 6302.21.90 in Revision 17 (2026), so a hotel mark or piped edge can change the duty line.
There is no single typical MOQ, price or transit time for a hotel linen program: set quantity by room and par multiple, confirm the minimum per item and color in writing, and confirm the shipment date only after sample approval.
Wash-test samples under the property laundry program before approving bulk, and check OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 scope: bed linen and towels fall in Product Class II and table linen in Product Class IV, and a certificate is valid for 12 months.
United States labels must list fiber content, country of origin and the responsible business identity, with care instructions under the Care Labeling Rule, and the Importer Security Filing must be submitted at least 24 hours before loading, with liquidated damages of 5,000 dollars per violation for non-compliance.
Bangladesh remains suspended from the United States Generalized System of Preferences, a suspension first imposed in 2013 and still in effect as of December 2024, so price hotel linen at the general rate unless your broker confirms otherwise.
To import hotel linen from Bangladesh to USA for a hotel property, start with the property itself: the bed mix, the room count, the laundry route and the standard the brand or owner will accept. A hotel linen order is a program for rooms in service, not a set of sheets for one bed.
This guide covers the United States entry process only, in the order a hotel buyer works: specification, shortlist, par stock, samples, labels, duty, delivery terms, entry documents and landed cost.
Start from the property, not the catalogue
A catalogue shows sheet sizes and towel weights. A property shows how many king, queen, double and twin beds it runs, and whether the laundry is in house or sent out. Name the property type, room count and bed mix in the enquiry, so every supplier quotes for the same rooms.
Where a brand standard applies, get it in writing before you send the specification to suppliers, and name the approver in the order plan. Set the date the linen must be in service, and work backward from it.
How to import hotel linen from Bangladesh to USA: build the property specification
What goes into a property specification?
Write one specification document, with one row per item, and send the identical document to every supplier. Start with the item and its room use: flat sheet, fitted sheet, pillowcase, duvet cover, bath towel, hand towel, washcloth, bath mat, tablecloth and napkin. State finished sizes in inches, with the centimeter equivalent beside them, and the tolerance you will accept after washing. Size names alone do not carry an order.
For each item, fix fiber composition in the words you want on the label, weave, finished weight where it applies, color or white shade, and construction details: hem width and stitching, fitted-sheet pocket depth including any mattress topper, elastic coverage, closures, and towel and table linen hems. Add logo treatment item by item, with artwork, placement and size. Close with labels and packing by item.
Find suppliers who already serve hotels
Where should a hotel buyer start the search?
Start with mills and exporters whose current range already includes hotel or institutional linen in bed, bath and table groups. A factory that makes only retail sheet sets or only apparel is not a close substitute: a hotel program needs wide sheeting fabric, terry capacity, shade control across repeat orders, and packing by room set. Browse suppliers on Exportain and read each profile against your property specification. Shortlist three or four suppliers, and send each one the identical property specification.
Ask each shortlisted supplier which hotel properties or hospitality programs it has supplied, and whether it can show a finished sheet set and towel from current production in your weave, size and shade. Ask how it holds shade across repeat orders: a property that reorders in six months needs the same white, not a near white.
How do you verify a supplier before you pay?
Verification has three layers, each checked before payment: company documents, checked so that the company name, address and bank account name agree; capability, from capacity by item group and a finished set from current production; and payment discipline, keeping payments to the company account named in the documents.
On Exportain, supplier profiles carry document and photo review badges where the checks have been completed. A badge records a review of documents and photos. It is not a factory inspection, a certification or a guarantee, and Exportain is not a party to the goods contract. Read what each badge covers on the trust center before you rely on it.
Par stock, MOQ and samples
How do you set the quantity for a hotel program?
Set quantity by room, not by carton. For each item, multiply the quantity needed per occupied room by the number of rooms that use it, then by the par multiple you have chosen. The par multiple is your operating decision, set from occupancy, room turnover and laundry turnaround. Record the par multiple item by item, so a reorder uses the same basis.
What is the typical MOQ for hotel linen from Bangladesh?
There is no single typical minimum order quantity for hotel linen from Bangladesh. The minimum is set per item and usually per color, because fabric is woven, bleached or dyed in batches. A white flat sheet, a dyed fitted sheet and a bath towel with a woven logo will not carry the same minimum. Ask how the minimum splits by item, size, color and logo treatment, and get the answer in writing before you compare quotes.
How is the price built, and how should you compare quotes?
Fabric is usually the main cost element, followed by cutting and sewing, bleaching or dyeing, finishing, hemming, logo work, testing, labeling and packing. Towel cost follows size and finished weight; sheet cost follows finished width and length. Compare quotes only on the same item list, sizes, fabric, towel weights, logo treatment, delivery term and packing.
Which samples do you need, and how do you approve them?
Work in stages, and approve in writing at each stage. A development sample shows whether the mill can construct each item and hold the finished size. A pre-production sample, made in the actual production fabric, color or white shade and finish, is the sample you approve for bulk. Wash each item repeatedly under the property laundry program, then measure finished sizes and check shrinkage. Approve only after the wash test and any brand approval, and keep one sealed counter-sample of each item.
Commercial laundry durability and quality checks
Which quality checks are specific to hotel linen?
Check fabric composition and finished weight, finished sizes within your tolerances after washing, and consistency across the size range. Then check construction item by item: hems, fitted-sheet corners and elastic, closures, and towel and table linen hems. Check shade across the program: a sheet, duvet cover and pillowcase in one room set can pass item by item and still fail as a set if one piece comes from a different white or dye batch. Use the hotel linen quality control checklist as the starting point for the inspection sheet.
Agree the inspection method and defect limits before production. ISO 2859-1:2026 defines a system of acceptance sampling plans for inspection by attributes, indexed by acceptance quality limit (AQL).1 AQL is the maximum average percentage of defective items considered acceptable during random sampling, used to determine sample sizes and acceptance and rejection thresholds.1 Inspect in stages: an inline check during cutting and sewing, and a final random inspection on packed goods, across cartons drawn from across the order, not pieces the factory selects.
Which certifications and test evidence do you actually need?
No single certificate covers every hotel linen order for the United States. A hotel group may name a specific test or scheme in its supplier manual: name it in the specification, and check the report for scope, product covered, issuing body and date.
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 is the certification hotel linen buyers ask about most often. It confirms that textiles and accessories have been tested for risks associated with harmful substances, and the criteria and limit values depend above all on intended use.2 Bed linen and towels fall in Product Class II, for textiles whose surface comes into direct contact with the skin, while table linen falls in Product Class IV, for furnishing materials for decorative purposes.2 The certificate and label are awarded only if all components meet the criteria without exception.2 A certificate is valid for 12 months and can be renewed annually.2 Confirm the certified articles include the exact construction and colors you ordered.
United States labels for hotel linen
What must the label say?
Federal law requires that most textile and wool products have a label that lists the fiber content, the country of origin, and the identity of the manufacturer or another business responsible for marketing or handling the product.3 Under the Care Labeling Rule, manufacturers and importers must provide instructions so consumers know how to clean the products they buy.3 Settle three label decisions before bulk sewing: the fiber statement, in the wording and percentages that match the fabric bought; the country of origin, so a sheet set made in Bangladesh carries that statement; and the identity, the manufacturer or marketer name, or the Registered Identification Number where the rules permit one.
Confirm with your broker or counsel whether the textile and care rules apply in the same way to linen bought for in-house hotel use and to linen bought for resale. Add the sorting information the laundry needs, such as item type, size and any property or color mark, and wash-test a labeled piece under the property laundry program.
Classify each hotel piece under HTS heading 6302 and confirm the duty
How are hotel linen pieces classified for duty?
Duty follows the classification of each piece, not the supplier name or the word hotel on the invoice. The Harmonized System is a multipurpose international product nomenclature developed by the World Customs Organization, comprising more than 5,000 commodity groups, each identified by a six-digit code.4 Only the first six digits are shared worldwide, so confirm the United States code for each piece. Heading 6302 covers bed linen, table linen, toilet linen and kitchen linen, coded piece by piece.5 Bathrobes are garments, not linen, and leave heading 6302 entirely.
What import duty applies in the United States?
Your rate depends on each piece, its subheading, the origin and any preference or additional duty in force on the entry date. In the United States schedule opened for this guide, Revision 17 (2026), the general rates for the hotel lines buyers use most are shown below.5 Treat every rate here as indicative until your broker confirms it for your exact piece and entry date. For the method, read the HS code guide for hotel linen.
HTSUS line | Hotel piece | General rate, Revision 17 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
6302.10.00 | Bed linen, knitted or crocheted | 6% |
6302.21.90 | Other bed linen, printed, of cotton, not napped | 6.7% |
6302.21.50 | Other bed linen, printed, of cotton, with embroidery, lace, braid, edging, trimming, piping or applique work, not napped | 20.9% |
6302.31.90 | Other bed linen, of cotton, not napped | 6.7% |
6302.51.10 | Other table linen, of cotton, damask | 6.1% |
6302.53.00 | Other table linen, of man-made fibers | 11.3% |
6302.60.00 | Toilet linen and kitchen linen, of terry towelling or similar terry fabrics, of cotton | 9.1% |
6302.91.00 | Other toilet linen and kitchen linen, of cotton | 9.2% |
6302.93.10 | Other toilet linen and kitchen linen, of man-made fibers, pile or tufted construction | 6.2% |
6302.93.20 | Other toilet linen and kitchen linen, of man-made fibers, other | 9.9% |
The trim line is the warning for hotel programs: the same printed cotton sheet carries 6.7 percent without trim and 20.9 percent with embroidery, lace, braid, edging, trimming, piping or applique work.5 Name the trim plainly on the invoice, and price the piece on the confirmed line.
Do not assume a preference. The United States Trade Representative said that Bangladesh remains suspended from the United States Generalized System of Preferences due to failure to meet international labour standards, and the suspension, first imposed in 2013, was still in effect as of December 2024.6 Price at the general rate unless your broker confirms otherwise.
Incoterms, shipping and the United States entry
Which delivery term should a first hotel order use?
Under Incoterms 2020, the delivery term settles delivery, risk, cost and customs obligations. Name the rule, the version and the named place in the contract, for example FCA Chattogram, Incoterms 2020. The rules define the place of delivery and the transfer of risks from seller to buyer, and each rule also covers costs, transport, insurance in some rules, and export and import formalities.7
Weigh FCA against FOB at Chattogram. Under FCA, the seller delivers the goods to the carrier or designated person named by the buyer, and FCA is suitable for any mode of transport, including multimodal shipments.7 Under FOB, the seller delivers the goods once they are loaded onto the vessel, and FOB is to be used only for maritime or inland waterway transport.7 FCA matches how containerized hotel linen moves from mill to terminal to vessel. If you accept FOB, agree in writing who bears the risk between terminal handover and loading.
There is no single typical transit time, and this guide states none. Sea freight takes weeks rather than days, varying by sailing schedule, routing, transshipment, season and gateway. Work backward from the date the linen must be in service, and confirm the shipment date only after sample approval and inspection.
What does the United States entry need?
The importer of record is responsible for the entry: classification, valuation, origin, duty payment and recordkeeping. A licensed customs broker can file the entry on your behalf, but responsibility for accuracy stays with the importer of record. Ask the broker to confirm the classification, duty rate, bond and fees before you place the order.
For ocean cargo, add the Importer Security Filing, known as 10+2. It gives United States Customs and Border Protection advance information about cargo arriving by vessel, and the ISF Importer or its authorized agent must submit it no later than 24 hours before the cargo is laden aboard the vessel at the foreign port.8 The ten importer data elements include seller, buyer, importer of record number, consignee numbers, manufacturer or supplier, ship-to party, country of origin, the Harmonized Tariff Schedule number at least to the six-digit level, container stuffing location and consolidator.8 The last two have a later deadline, no later than 24 hours before the vessel arrives at a United States port.8 Failure to comply can result in liquidated damages of 5,000 dollars per violation, and the ISF Importer must possess an appropriate bond.8
The entry documentation required to secure release consists of the entry on CBP Form 3461 or its electronic equivalent, evidence of the right to make entry, a commercial invoice, a packing list where appropriate, and other documents required by CBP or other agencies.9 Name each piece plainly on its own invoice line, with fiber content, construction, finished dimensions, towel weight where it applies, quantities, unit prices, the delivery term and the HTSUS line.
Landed cost per room set
A landed cost is the full cost of one room set, ready for service, excluding any tax treatment your accountant handles separately. Every number below is an example figure only, not a quote. Example figures: one room set of a flat sheet, a fitted sheet, two pillowcases and a duvet cover, plus two bath towels and two hand towels, FOB Chattogram, sea freight to a United States East Coast gateway, duty at an example rate only. The duty line in a real costing is calculated piece by piece from the confirmed codes and rates above.
Cost element | Example figures (per room set) |
|---|---|
Product price, FOB Chattogram | $24.00 |
International freight | $2.10 |
Insurance | $0.18 |
Duty, example rate only | $1.85 |
Port, clearance and broker fees | $0.75 |
Inland delivery to property warehouse | $0.62 |
Total landed cost | $29.50 |
Work the calculation twice: at quote stage, piece by piece, and again after shipment with the actual invoices. See the landed cost method for imports from Bangladesh for the full cost lines.
Hotel import checklist, from brand approval to first housekeeping issue
Get the brand or owner linen standard in writing, and record the bed mix, room count and laundry program.
Write the property specification item by item: fiber, weave, size, pocket depth, towel weight, shade, logo treatment, labels and packing.
Classify every piece from heading 6302, and confirm each full 10-digit code and duty rate with your broker.
Shortlist mills whose range already includes hotel linen, and request quotes on the identical specification.
Verify the chosen supplier: documents, capability from current production, and payment discipline.
Order samples in stages, wash them under the property laundry program, and approve a pre-production sample of each item.
Confirm the order in writing: purchase order, pro forma invoice, delivery and payment terms, inspection plan and shipment date.
Inspect during production and again on packed goods, checking set matching, shade and size after washing.
Give your broker the ISF details early enough to file at least 24 hours before loading.
Ship, clear customs with the confirmed code for each piece, and run a housekeeping trial before the full program goes into service.
What is the typical MOQ for hotel linen from Bangladesh?
There is no single typical minimum. It is set per item and usually per color, because sheeting and terry fabric are woven, bleached or dyed in batches. Ask how it splits by item, size, color and logo treatment, and whether it is counted in pieces, sets, dozens or cartons, and confirm the split in writing.
How long does shipping take?
Production time and transit time are separate, and neither has a single typical figure. Sea freight from Chattogram to the United States takes weeks rather than days and varies by route, transshipment, season and gateway. Plan from your forwarder current sailing schedule, and confirm the shipment date only after sample approval and inspection.
What import duty applies?
Duty follows the confirmed classification of each piece, the origin and any preference or additional duty in force on the entry date. Hotel linen sits in heading 6302: bed linen, table linen and towels in the blocks listed in the table above.5 In Revision 17 (2026), the general rates include 6.7 percent on 6302.21.90 and 6302.31.90, 20.9 percent on the trim line 6302.21.50, 9.1 percent on cotton terry towels at 6302.60.00, and 11.3 percent on man-made fiber table linen at 6302.53.00.5 Price at the general rate and ask your broker to confirm the current rate for your entry date.6
How do I verify a supplier?
Check company documents first, so that the name, address and bank account agree across the trade licence, export registration and invoices. Then check capability: capacity by item group, fabric source and width, terry and sheeting route, and a finished set from current production. Keep payments to the company account named in the documents, approve a pre-production sample of each item after the property wash test, and confirm the label wording and HTSUS codes with your broker before the goods ship. Treat any profile badge as a document and photo review, not a factory inspection or a guarantee.
Next steps on Exportain
Read how to import from Bangladesh for the full process, then work through the landed cost method with your broker. When your specification is ready, see how to buy on Exportain, then post an RFQ and compare quotes on the same terms.
Sources
- ISO 2859-1:2026 - Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes — Part 1: Sampling schemes indexed by acceptance quality limit (AQL) for lot-by-lot inspection. ISO (accessed )
- OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 for textiles tested for harmful substances. Hohenstein (accessed )
- Textile, Wool, Fur, Apparel and Leather Matters. Federal Trade Commission (accessed )
- What is the Harmonized System (HS)?. World Customs Organization (accessed )
- Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, Chapter 63: Other made up textile articles; sets; worn clothing and worn textile articles; rags (Revision 17, 2026). United States International Trade Commission (accessed )
- USTR flags persistent trade barriers in Bangladesh. The Daily Star (accessed )
- FCA & FOB Incoterms 2020 explained: Key differences. ICC Academy (accessed )
- U.S. Importer Security Filing (ISF): Requirements, Deadlines, and Penalties. GHY International (accessed )
- 19 CFR 142.3 - Entry documentation required. Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (accessed )
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