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| Decision field | Free accountFOURSOURCE Supplier NetworkGlobalRemove | Open accessEU VIES VAT Number ValidationEuropean UnionRemove | Open accessTech Pack Definition, Contents & LimitsGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | |||
| Primary job | Source production | Check standards | Source production |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Production | Standards | Production |
| Best for | Searching global apparel and textile production capabilities | Checking an EU supplier's stated VAT number and saving the dated validation response as one identity and invoicing control | Understanding what a tech pack must control before using a template or releasing work |
| Know before using | The company count is a changing platform claim. Search fields, profiles, certificates, locations, and account access do not independently verify the legal entity, factory ownership, capability, capacity, certificate validity or scope, compliance performance, delivery, or project fit. Confirm the site and subcontracting, credentials with issuers, samples, audits when appropriate, specifications, contracts, and commercial terms. | A valid VAT number is not proof of manufacturing capability, facility ownership, authorized bank instructions, product origin, tax advice, quality, capacity, certification, labor conditions, or delivery; names and addresses may not be returned for every country, and temporary database outages occur. | An orientation rather than a completed product record; it does not supply a universal format, licensed standard content, measurements, tolerances, construction settings, labels, approvals, compliance conclusion, or product-release authority. |
| Practical access | |||
| For | Apparel brands | Apparel brands | Apparel brands |
| Location or jurisdiction | Global | European Union | Global |
| Access | Free account | Open access | Open access |
| Format | Marketplace | Reference | Stitch Authority |
| Source type | Commercial marketplace | Official registry | Stitch Authority |
| Source and review | |||
| What the source establishes | FOURSOURCE's current public network page presents an operator-reported global company count and country or territory search. It says logged-in users can narrow results by compliance certificates, product groups, fabric types, target groups, minimum order quantities, and other fields, with a free-trial and supplier sign-up route. | VIES is the European Commission's online VAT Information Exchange System interface for querying national VAT databases to determine whether a submitted number is valid for intra-EU cross-border trade at the time of the request. | The guide cites published ISO sources for documented-information, garment-measurement, stitch, and seam boundaries plus current U.S. FTC textile and care-labeling guidance; it discloses that ISO 10013:2021's 2026 systematic review is at close-of-review stage and separates every cited authority from product-specific technical and market decisions. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 21, 2026 | Jul 15, 2026 | Jul 27, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jan 17, 2027 | Oct 13, 2026 | Jul 27, 2027 |
| Inspect | |||
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