Israel clothing manufacturers once formed a significant industry, but today most clothing sold in Israel is made abroad. Local production still exists, mainly small workshops and factories run by importers and specialist brands, yet it cannot meet the volume or price the Israeli market needs. We have travelled to Israel many times, work with several Israeli clients, and have visited importers with their own small factories. This guide explains what remains of the textile industry in Israel, why most brands import, and how Israeli buyers source garments successfully.
Does Israel Have a Textile Industry Today?
Israel’s textile industry was once an important employer, with large spinning, knitting, and garment companies. Over the past three decades, rising labour costs and open trade moved most production to countries with lower costs, and several Israeli apparel groups now design and manage their brands in Israel while manufacturing elsewhere. What remains of the textile industry in Israel today is smaller and more specialised: technical textiles, some knitting and finishing, and small garment workshops.
Israel Clothing Manufacturers Today: Who They Are
Most Israeli clothing manufacturers today fall into three groups. The table below shows how they work and what they suit.
| Type | How They Work | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Importers with small factories | Import most stock and make a small share locally | Samples, urgent top-ups, small local runs |
| Specialist workshops | Produce niche or premium items in small quantities | Uniforms, specialist garments, made-in-Israel lines |
| Israeli brands producing abroad | Design in Israel, manufacture in other countries | Volume ranges for retail |
What We Have Seen in Israel
On our many trips to Israel, we have visited importers who run their own small factories alongside their import business. These units are useful for samples, quick adjustments, and urgent orders, but they are not large enough to supply the needs of the Israeli market, and their costs are high compared with production in Asia. That is why the same importers buy most of their volume from overseas manufacturers and keep local production for what really needs to be close: fast replenishment, alterations, and small specialist runs. Our Israeli clients work with us in exactly this way, using Tirupur for their core cotton ranges.
Why Most Israeli Buyers Import Clothing
Three factors drive the decision. Cost: labour and overheads in Israel make local garment production expensive for everyday clothing. Capacity: there are not enough local factories to produce the volumes retailers need. And range: specialist clusters abroad offer fabrics, prints, and finishes that small local units cannot. Israeli buyers commonly source from China, Turkey, India, and other Asian countries, and from nearby countries in the region. For cotton knitwear such as t-shirts, sleepwear, and kidswear, India’s Tirupur cluster offers a strong combination of quality, price, and flexibility; our guide to the best country to import clothes compares the options.
How Israeli Buyers Source From India
For Israeli brands and importers, the practical steps are the same as for any market: send a complete tech pack with Hebrew labelling requirements, approve samples, inspect bulk, and ship by sea to Haifa or Ashdod or by air for urgent orders. Agree the Incoterm and documents in advance with your customs agent, and confirm the current Israeli duty and VAT for your product. Our guide to what to send to a clothing manufacturer covers the brief, and our guide to quality control in the garment industry shows what a full inspection covers. If you are deciding between a local workshop and an overseas factory, our comparison of domestic vs offshore production explains the trade-offs.
Our recommendation
Use Israel clothing manufacturers for samples, urgent top-ups, and specialist items, and an overseas partner for core ranges at volume. We make cotton knitwear in Tirupur for Israeli clients, with knit orders starting at 300 pieces per colour per style, 75 to 90 days from purchase order to shipment, and every order inspected to AQL 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Israel have a textile industry?
Yes, but a much smaller one than in the past. Most large-scale garment production moved abroad from the 1990s, and today’s industry is mainly technical textiles, small factories, and specialist workshops.
Who are the clothing manufacturers in Israel today?
Mainly importers that run small local factories, specialist workshops making niche or premium items, and Israeli brands that design locally but manufacture abroad.
Why do Israeli brands import most of their clothing?
Because local production is expensive for everyday clothing, local capacity is too small for retail volumes, and specialist clusters abroad offer a wider range of fabrics and finishes.
Where do Israeli clothing manufacturers source from?
Mainly from China, Turkey, India, and other Asian countries, as well as nearby countries in the region. India is a strong choice for cotton knitwear such as t-shirts, sleepwear, and kidswear.
Can Israeli buyers work directly with Indian manufacturers?
Yes. Many already do, sending a tech pack with Hebrew labelling requirements, approving samples, and shipping by sea to Haifa or Ashdod, or by air for urgent orders.
About the Author: Karthik Shan
Karthik Shan is the founder and CEO of The Synerg, with 20+ years in the Tirupur textile hub. He publishes practical playbooks for brands on fabric GSM, costing (CM/CMT), AQL quality standards, and export-ready production.