What is CMT (Cut, Make, Trim)?

CMT (cut, make, trim) is a contract-manufacturing model in which the buyer supplies the fabric and the factory cuts, sews and finishes the garments. The factory is paid a processing fee, not a price for the garment, and the fabric belongs to the buyer (Gereffi and Frederick, 2010, p. 12). In Turkey, CMT is a form of fason, the Turkish term for contract work whose materials the party commissioning the work supplies. The same letters mean other things in medicine and finance; this entry covers the garment term.

What does CMT stand for in garment manufacturing?

CMT is the initials of “cut, make, trim”: cutting, sewing and “trim.” A World Bank study (Gereffi and Frederick, 2010) expands it as “cut, make and trim.” Tekstil Rehberi’s Turkish-language articles use kes-dik-teslim as the Turkish equivalent; teslim means delivery and adapts the abbreviation rather than translating “trim.” What the “T” covers differs by source:

• Gereffi and Frederick expand the abbreviation but never define “trim” anywhere in the study.
• The CBI cost-price guide (updated September 26, 2024) writes “CMT (Cut, Make & Trims)”: in CM the buyer provides zippers, buttons, hang tags and labels, while in CMT these trims move to the factory.
• Online Clothing Study (2018) and QualityInspection.org describe trim as finishing work: trimming thread ends, checking and packing.

Whichever label a quote uses, read its scope line by line.

Who supplies what in a CMT order?

The rows follow Gereffi and Frederick’s definition and the table in our contract garment manufacturing guide. In the end, the contract decides who holds each item.

What does a CMT price include?

A CMT price pays for the process: the labor of cutting, sewing and finishing. Because you supply the fabric, the fabric is not in it. In CBI’s cost model, the CM price starts from the cost of direct labor, indirect labor and overhead and adds the factory’s profit; in CMT the cost also includes trims, labels and hang tags. Quantity, style complexity and the workshop’s MOQ all move the number, so this entry gives no price figures. How to read an itemized quote is covered in clothing manufacturers in Turkey.

CMT, CM and full package: how the names differ

• CM (cut and make): According to CBI, the buyer supplies fabric, trims and packing, and the value added is labor only. In CMP the factory also supplies the packing; in CMT it also supplies the trims. Gereffi and Frederick, however, treat CM as another name for CMT, so the two abbreviations do not always mean the same scope.
• Sewing only: In Tekstil Rehberi’s usage, the cut panels arrive at the workshop; in CMT the workshop cuts as well. The garment manufacturing process shows where each model sits in the flow.
• Full package (OEM, FOB): Here the factory buys and pays for the fabric and trims itself, then makes, finishes and packs the order. Gereffi and Frederick reserve the label ODM for a supplier that designs the product as well. “FOB” is in fact an Incoterms delivery term, and the trade also uses it as the name of this model; the FOB entry separates the two meanings.

Who carries the risk in CMT?

Because the fabric is the buyer’s property, the supply and stock risk that comes with it stays with the buyer in CMT. Which orders fit CMT and which fit full package is covered in the model choice section of our contract manufacturing guide.

For the workshop, CBI writes that in the CM model profit is low and so is risk, and that profit depends on production speed, on-time delivery and the repair rate.

Hypothetical example: a brand works out how much T-shirt fabric it needs with the fabric consumption calculator, buys the fabric from its own supplier and sends it to the workshop with a tech pack and an approved sample. The workshop counts the fabric on receipt, cuts, sews and finishes, then returns the garments and the leftover fabric, and the brand pays the processing fee.

Frequently asked questions

What does CMT mean in clothing?

CMT is short for cut, make, trim. In clothing it names the model in which the buyer supplies the fabric and the factory cuts, sews and finishes the garments for a processing fee. What the “T” covers, trims or finishing, depends on the source and the quote.

Is CMT the same as fason?

No. CMT is one type of fason, the general Turkish name for production whose materials come from the party ordering it; CMT is the version that covers cutting, sewing and finishing together. Sewing pieces that arrive already cut is also fason, but it is not CMT.

What is the difference between CMT and FOB (full package)?

In CMT the fabric belongs to the buyer and the factory charges a processing fee. In full-package (FOB) production the factory sources fabric and trims and charges a price for the garment (Gereffi and Frederick, 2010). FOB is in fact an Incoterms delivery term (ICC Academy).

Does a CMT price include fabric?

No. The buyer supplies the fabric, so a CMT price is a processing fee. Whether trims, thread, labels, pressing, packing and quality control are included should be written in the quote.

Where can I find CMT workshops in Turkey?

The CMT sewing workshops and fabric cutting pages list companies; verify each firm yourself. The criteria in how to choose a CMT workshop help narrow the list.