Sourcing Acrylic Craft Felt from China

A flat 6% duty on acrylic craft felt

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 5602 covers felt whether or not impregnated, coated, covered or laminated. The acrylic craft felt lines shown here all carry 6% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension. These are construction variants, rather than separate codes for each colour or sheet size.

The selected lines carry cat and dog fur import and export controls except 5602 10 90 00. Imports and exports of such fur and products made from it are banned. Ask the factory to confirm fibre composition and absence of cat or dog fur, and have your customs broker confirm the entry requirements. The tariff also flags CITES export control under 5602 29 00 90; confirm requirements with your broker if re-exporting.

Confirm the commodity code using the manufacturing method and details of any impregnation, coating, covering or lamination. Do not classify from the words 'craft felt' alone. For wool felt, industrial grades and the wider heading, see our felt and felt sheets guide.

Specify fibre, firmness and cutting behaviour

Write down the fibre composition rather than accepting 'acrylic feel' as a material description. Specify sheet dimensions, thickness, weight per area, tolerances, colours and pack contents. Agree whether the felt should drape softly or hold a cut shape. Approve a physical swatch and try cutting, stitching and gluing it with the tools and adhesive your customer will use.

For adhesive-backed felt, specify the adhesive, release liner and intended bonding surface. Check peeling, repositioning and bond performance on that surface. Textile labels must show fibre content. Consumer felt sold in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use; felt intended for children's craft kits should also be checked against toy safety expectations for that use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: assorted-colour acrylic needleloom felt sheets for a craft retailer under 5602 10 19 00, invoiced at £14,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £15,500. Duty at 6% is £930. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £16,430, so it is £3,286. Import taxes total £4,216; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £930 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Material: compare batch fibre information and pack labels with the agreed composition; check for mixed fibres, hard inclusions and unusual odour.

Dimensions: measure sheet size and thickness across the sheet, and weigh cut samples to check weight per area against the agreed tolerances.

Colour and cutting: compare every shade with approved swatches, rub dark colours against a light cloth, and cut small shapes to check shedding and edge stability.

Packing and backing: check colour assortments, sheet counts, creases and damp packaging; on adhesive-backed sheets, check liner release and bonding on the agreed surface.

What goes wrong

A sample can feel firm while production sheets are thinner, lighter or made from a different fibre blend. Small cut shapes then stretch, shed or lose their edges. Mixed dye batches create visible shade differences within a pack, while compressed packing leaves creases. Compare arrival samples with retained swatches before distributing the stock.

Adhesive-backed felt can peel cleanly from its liner yet lift from the customer's surface. Test the actual application before approving production. Keep plain sheets and children's kits as separate specifications, and agree the intended use before arranging testing and certification.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.