Nearshoring in 2025: Why More Brands Are Moving Production Closer to Home

In 2025, the apparel industry is seeing a clear shift: more brands are moving production out of Asia and into regions like Central America, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. This nearshoring trend isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a strategic move driven by speed, risk mitigation, and consumer demand.

Why the Shift Is Happening

1. Faster Lead Times
Nearshoring slashes shipping times from weeks to days. Brands working with U.S. or European markets can produce closer to home and replenish shelves quickly. In a world where consumer tastes change fast, speed wins.

2. Rising Costs in Asia
Wages, energy costs, and compliance requirements in parts of Asia have steadily increased. Meanwhile, emerging hubs in places like Morocco, Serbia, and Guatemala offer competitive labor costs and growing manufacturing infrastructure.

3. Tariffs and Trade Policy
Unpredictable tariffs and geopolitical tensions have made sourcing from certain Asian countries riskier. Nearshoring reduces exposure and leverages favorable trade agreements like CAFTA-DR (Central America) and EU partnerships with North African and Eastern European nations.

4. Sustainability and Transparency
Consumers are demanding traceability. Shorter supply chains mean better oversight, lower emissions, and more ethical labor practices. Nearshoring also enables smaller, more frequent production runs that reduce overstock and waste.

5. Supply Chain Resilience
COVID-19, Suez Canal blockages, and ongoing global disruptions proved that long, fragile supply chains can’t be the default. Nearshoring diversifies sourcing and helps brands stay agile in uncertain times.

Where Production Is Moving

Central America: Countries like Honduras and Guatemala offer proximity to the U.S., low costs, and FTAs.

North Africa: Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia have become EU-friendly manufacturing bases with strong textile industries.

Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Serbia, and Turkey provide EU-adjacent production with skilled labor and fast turnaround.

At [smpl], we help brands take advantage of these new nearshoring hubs with end-to-end production support, from sourcing to shipping. If you're looking to reduce lead times, cut risk, and move faster, we’re here to make manufacturing simpler.

Let us help you move closer to home.