Custom Sportswear Manufacturer for Canada
- Est. 2005 · Sialkot, Pakistan
- MOQ 20–25 pcs per design · no limit for brands
- Free 24h digital mockup
- Sample 5–7 days, credited on bulk
- Bulk 15–25 business days · express 7–12
- DHL/FedEx/UPS 5–10 days
- 🛡️ Free remake within 3 days
Why Canadian teams and brands order from Sialkot
Canadian buyers order from ZipaSports mainly for sublimated hockey jerseys with matching socks, then for soccer and basketball uniforms and for private-label gym ranges, all manufactured at the factory in Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan rather than decorated from stock. A beer-league team ordering 22 jerseys, a minor hockey association dressing eight age groups in one colour standard and a Toronto activewear startup buy on the same terms: 20–25 pieces per design, lower on request, no MOQ limit once a brand is established.
What a private-label order means for a Canadian brand
A private-label order is one where the garment is manufactured to your specification and finished with your own woven neck labels, printed size and care tags, hang tags and polybags, so nothing in the carton carries the factory's name. For Canadian brands the tags are printed to the artwork you supply, in English and French if you lay them out that way. The factory prints what you send; whether the wording satisfies Canadian labelling rules is confirmed by you or your importer of record, because ZipaSports does not advise on Canadian regulation.
Disclosure: this page is published by ZipaSports, itself a Sialkot manufacturer.
What Canadian buyers order most
Canadian hockey kit is ordered from June to September, outdoor soccer and lacrosse from January to March, and fleece layers from August onwards. The table lists each buyer type with the garments, fabrics and decoration that suit it.
| Buyer type | Typical garments | Fabric / GSM options | Decoration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor hockey associations and beer leagues | Game jerseys, goalie-cut jerseys, hockey socks, practice jerseys | Polyester interlock or pin-dot mesh 140–180 GSM; sublimated sock knit | Full sublimation; tackle twill and appliqué crests and numbers |
| Hockey teams: warm-ups and travel | Warm-up hoodies, team jackets, travel suits, beanies | Cotton-polyester fleece 280–350 GSM; performance fleece 240–300 GSM | Embroidery; screen print |
| Soccer clubs | Complete kits, junior kits, rain jackets | Interlock or mesh 140–180 GSM | Sublimation |
| Basketball | Reversibles, youth kits, snap-away warm-ups | Mesh 140–180 GSM | Sublimation; tackle twill |
| Lacrosse, field and box | Box lacrosse jerseys, pinnies, shorts | Mesh 140–180 GSM | Sublimation |
| Baseball and softball | Jerseys, slowpitch jerseys, dugout jackets | Interlock 140–180 GSM; fleece 280–350 GSM | Tackle twill; sublimation |
| Volleyball | Women's jerseys, compression shorts, warm-up jackets | Interlock 140–180 GSM; polyester-spandex 240–300 GSM | Sublimation |
| Cheer and dance programmes | Uniforms, warm-up jackets, bows | Lycra/spandex 180–220 GSM | Sublimation; rhinestone |
| Boxing and MMA clubs | Boxing shorts, rash guards, club hoodies | Satin 120–160 GSM, polyester-spandex 180–220 GSM and fleece at 280–350 GSM | Sublimation; embroidery |
| Gym and activewear brands | Pocket leggings, zip hoodies, joggers, sherpa-lined hoodies | Nylon-spandex 240–300 GSM; fleece 280–350 GSM | Own labels; embroidery; puff print |
Each row is manufactured to the buyer's design; there is no stock. Sublimated socks are made in-house and knitted socks come from a dedicated partner unit.
Duty, taxes, delivery and paperwork for Canada
A Canadian order is quoted as one delivered figure per garment, with duty, the taxes collected at import and freight inside it, so the courier hands over the carton without a brokerage or tax demand.
| Item | How it works for Canada |
|---|---|
| Import duty | Canadian duty on apparel applies and is priced into the delivered quote; ZipaSports makes no duty-free claim for Canada. Rates as they stand in mid-2026 — confirm the current rate with your customs broker |
| Taxes at import | Included in the delivered price; no separate collection when the courier arrives |
| Customs clearance | Handled with the courier on the ZipaSports side |
| Courier | DHL, FedEx or UPS, 5–10 days from Sialkot to Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Halifax and rural addresses |
| Sea freight | 3–6 weeks for bulk to the port your forwarder nominates |
| Documents | Commercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin (Pakistan) travel with every shipment |
| Labels and tags | Printed to your artwork, in English and French where supplied; woven labels come from a dedicated partner unit |
| Payment routes | Bank transfer (SWIFT), Wise, Remitly, Ria Money Transfer or Xoom, with terms set out on the quotation |
| Packing | Per-player bags with jersey and socks together, or per-SKU cartons for brands |
How the duty line is built and when sea beats air is set out in the import duties and shipping guide; carrier terms are in the shipping policy. Canadian duty and import-tax rules change, so before a landed cost goes into a budget, confirm the current rate with your customs broker; the position described here is as of mid-2026.
Timeline from enquiry to delivery
Hockey seasons open in September or October, so jersey artwork should be approved by mid-July; outdoor soccer starts in April or May, so approve by February; fleece for November deliveries should be approved by September. Each stage is fixed and the total from approval to courier delivery is five to seven weeks.
| Stage | Time | Notes for Canadian buyers |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiry to digital mockup | Within 24 hours | Send the crest, roster and colours; revisions are free until you approve |
| Physical sample (optional) | 5–7 days plus courier | One jersey in your cut and size before the league order; charged at sample cost and credited on the bulk order |
| Bulk production | 15–25 business days after design approval | Cutting, sublimation, twill work, stitching, QC and per-player packing |
| Express production | 7–12 days at additional cost | For a tournament team or a late registration |
| Courier delivery | 5–10 days | DHL, FedEx or UPS to your door, duty and taxes paid |
| Sea freight | 3–6 weeks | Distributors and brands moving pallets to a warehouse |
Plan around the calendar in lead times by season; approving hockey artwork in July keeps a September or October start comfortable.
ZipaSports compared with a local decorator and a Canadian teamwear supplier
Canadian buyers usually weigh three options, and the table says plainly which one suits which order.
| Criterion | Local screen printer or embroiderer | Canadian teamwear supplier (stock ranges) | ZipaSports (Sialkot factory) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What they do | Decorate blanks from a wholesaler | Sell stock jerseys and apparel from national brands, decorated to order | Manufacture the garment to your design, cut, size chart and labels |
| Suits | Fewer than 10 pieces, a 3-day deadline, a one-off tournament | A catalogue jersey in stock sizes, delivered quickly | Fully sublimated custom jerseys with matching socks, private-label ranges, one look across an association |
| Minimum | Often one piece | Set by the range | Per design, 20–25 pieces; lower quantities on request; no MOQ limit for sportswear brands |
| Cut and sizing | The blank's cut | The brand's chart | Your chart, with player and goalie cuts and youth grading |
| Private label | No | No | Yes, including bilingual tags to your artwork |
| Landed cost | Local pricing | Local pricing | One delivered figure covering freight, duty and taxes |
A team that needs 15 practice jerseys by the weekend should call the local shop. An association standardising eight age groups, or a brand launching under its own label, is manufacturing, and the guide to choosing a sportswear manufacturer lists the questions to ask first.
Hockey jerseys and socks: what the factory needs from a Canadian league
To manufacture a hockey jersey the factory needs six things: the cut (player or goalie), the collar style (lace-up, V or crew), the artwork with sleeve stripes and crest placement, the roster with numbers and name bars, the size chart per age group, and whether the crest is sublimated or sewn as tackle-twill appliqué. Player jerseys are cut with room for shoulder and elbow pads; goalie-cut jerseys are wider in the body and sleeve. Hockey socks are sublimated from the same colour file so the stripes match the jersey.
Names and numbers can be sublimated for a fixed roster or heat-applied for a league that changes players mid-season, and practice jerseys in the same colours are made in a lighter mesh 140–180 GSM. The full range is at ice hockey teamwear and the lettering options at names, numbers and sponsor logos.
Quality Guarantee: if any garment arrives with a manufacturing defect, we remake it free of charge — the remake goes into production within 3 days of your report. A number printed against the wrong name on the approved roster counts as a defect and is remade.
Sizing, cuts and winter layers for Canadian teams
Canadian orders are graded to the buyer's own chart. Adult sizes run XS–5XL, women's XS–4XL and youth by age or height, and hockey sizes are graded larger than street sizes so the jersey fits over equipment; a jersey you already like can be sent to Sialkot, measured and matched. Finished garments are measured to ±1–1.5 cm against the chart you approved.
Winter training layers are the second thing Canadian teams order after uniforms. Hoodies, joggers and team jackets are made in cotton-polyester fleece 280–350 GSM, with performance polyester fleece 240–300 GSM for lighter warm-ups, and sherpa-lined hoodies and beanies for rink-side use. Fabric detail is at cotton-polyester fleece; the three pattern blocks are explained in men's, women's and youth cuts explained.
Contacting the factory from Canadian time zones
Sialkot runs 10 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (9 ahead of EDT) and 13 ahead of Pacific Standard Time (12 ahead of PDT), which puts the factory's Monday-to-Saturday day of 9:00–18:00 PKT between 11pm and 8am in Toronto and Montreal, and between 8pm and 5am in Vancouver. A message sent from Toronto at 7am ET reaches Sialkot at 17:00 and is answered the same day; one sent from Vancouver at 9pm PT lands at 10am PKT and gets a WhatsApp reply within 2 hours.
WhatsApp +92 300 7019281 gets the quickest answer, and email to zipasports@gmail.com is replied to within 24 hours. Export sales and business development sit with Umer, who is the contact for Canadian buyers. Send the garment list with quantities, the roster with numbers, your crest as a vector file, colour or Pantone references, the cut (player or goalie) and the delivery postal code, and the free design mockup and delivered quotation come back within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make hockey jerseys for a Canadian league?
Yes. Game jerseys, goalie-cut jerseys, practice jerseys and matching socks are sublimated to your design in polyester interlock or mesh 140–180 GSM from 20–25 pieces per design, with tackle-twill crests and sublimated or heat-applied names and numbers. Youth and adult sizes are graded from your chart.
Do I pay duty and taxes in Canada on sportswear from Pakistan?
Not separately. ZipaSports quotes a delivered price that includes Canadian duty, the taxes collected at import and freight, so the courier delivers without a brokerage or tax bill. No duty-free preference is claimed for Canada; the applicable duty is built into the quote. Rates change, so confirm the current rate with your customs broker; this is the position as of mid-2026.
Can labels and tags be printed in English and French?
Yes. Printed size and care tags, hang tags and woven labels are produced to the artwork you supply, so bilingual English and French wording is printed exactly as you lay it out. Confirming that the wording meets Canadian labelling rules remains with you or your importer of record.
How long does delivery to Toronto or Vancouver take?
Courier delivery by DHL, FedEx or UPS takes 5–10 days from Sialkot to Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and other Canadian addresses. Add 15–25 business days of production after design approval, so a typical order arrives five to seven weeks after sign-off; sea freight takes 3–6 weeks.
Can you make hockey socks to match the jerseys?
Yes. Hockey socks are sublimated from the same colour file as the jersey so stripes and shades match, and they are packed per player with the jersey when you supply a roster. Knitted socks are made by a dedicated partner unit and can be added to the same order.
Do you make winter training layers for Canadian teams?
Yes. Hoodies, joggers, team jackets, sherpa-lined hoodies and beanies are made to order in cotton-polyester fleece 280–350 GSM or performance polyester fleece 240–300 GSM, embroidered or screen printed with your crest, from 20–25 pieces per design.
Can a Canadian activewear startup order small quantities?
Yes. A first collection starts at 20–25 pieces per design, lower on request, with your own labels, tags and polybags applied in-house, and once a brand is established the MOQ limit disappears altogether. The digital mockup comes back free inside 24 hours, and a physical sample takes 5–7 days at sample cost, credited against the bulk order.
How do I pay a Pakistani factory from Canada?
Canadian buyers pay by bank transfer (SWIFT), Wise, Remitly, Ria Money Transfer or Xoom, and of those Remitly is the quickest card route for a first sample. The quotation and the terms attached to it are issued against your enquiry; WhatsApp is the fastest way to get one back the same day.
Can you make box lacrosse jerseys?
Yes. Box and field lacrosse jerseys, pinnies, reversible practice jerseys and shorts are sublimated in polyester mesh 140–180 GSM from 20–25 pieces per design, with numbers and sponsor logos printed in the same pass and youth sizes graded from your chart.