Sourcing Alpaca Blankets from China
The selected alpaca blanket lines from China carry a flat 12% UK duty, with no recorded trade remedies. Fibre content must be labelled. Confirm the blend and construction before classification, and resolve the tariff's CITES flags with your broker. Cambridge China Bridge sources alpaca blankets.
UK duty on alpaca blankets
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 6301 covers blankets and travelling rugs. This guide concerns non-electric alpaca blankets. The animal-hair lines distinguish knitted or crocheted blankets, hand-made blankets and other blankets. The selected lines all carry 12% duty for goods from China, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing duties and no suspensions.
The animal-hair lines carry CITES import and export control flags. Confirm with your customs broker whether your Chinese shipment requires CITES documents, using the actual animal species and fibre composition. Official guidance requires a permit for species listed in Annex A, B or C; the tariff flag does not establish the requirement for a particular alpaca blanket.
Give your broker the fibre breakdown, construction and manufacturing method to confirm the commodity code. The synthetic-fibre row is a possible classification for a blend, subject to confirmation. See the cashmere blankets guide for wider animal-hair blanket coverage.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpaca animal-hair blankets, knitted or crocheted | 6301 20 10 00 | 12% | None |
| Alpaca animal-hair blankets, hand-made, not knitted or crocheted | 6301 20 90 10 | 12% | None |
| Alpaca animal-hair blankets, other, including machine-woven | 6301 20 90 90 | 12% | None |
| Woven alpaca blends classified as synthetic-fibre blankets, other | 6301 40 90 99 | 12% | None |
Specify the alpaca fibre and finish
Write down the alpaca content and every blending fibre, finished dimensions, whether fringes are included in the measurement, fabric weight, weave or knit, colour and edge finish. Ask the supplier to explain any baby-alpaca claim and provide supporting fibre evidence. Approve a physical sample for softness, coarse hairs, loft and surface finish.
Fibre content must be labelled. Match the label and sales description to the agreed composition and an independent fibre-identification report. Agree care instructions after testing the proposed cleaning method. Businesses must not sell consumer products they know, or should have known, are unsafe; consider the intended use when agreeing product checks.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 800 woven alpaca blankets under 6301 20 90 90, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £27,000. Duty at 12% is £3,240. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £30,240, so it is £6,048. Import taxes total £9,288; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £3,240 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Composition: compare the bulk fibre report, labels and order specification; do not accept hand feel as proof of alpaca content.
Surface: compare softness and brushing with the approved sample, and check shedding, pilling and colour transfer after the agreed cleaning trial.
Dimensions and edges: measure the body and fringe separately, check shrinkage after cleaning, and pull-check fringes, binding and loose yarns.
Arrival and packing: open cartons to check dampness, odour, shade variation and recovery from compression. Record findings against the approved sample using the inspection guide.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
A brushed blend can feel soft while containing less alpaca than ordered. Coarse hairs can make the blanket scratchy, loose surface fibres can shed, and cleaning can cause felting or shrinkage. Weak fringes unravel, while dark yarns can transfer colour to upholstery.
Keep the approved sample and bulk test results together. Compare goods across cartons rather than judging the shipment from the top blanket. Resolve differences in composition, finish or dimensions before accepting the batch, and keep damp or suspect goods apart while investigating.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on alpaca blankets from China?
The selected animal-hair blanket lines carry 12% duty in the supplied tariff snapshot, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing duties and no suspensions.
Do alpaca blankets need a fibre label?
Yes. The label must show fibre content. Check that the alpaca and blending fibres match the bulk composition evidence and sales description.
Do I need CITES documents for alpaca blankets?
The animal-hair tariff lines carry CITES flags. Confirm the actual species and shipment requirements with your customs broker; do not infer a permit requirement or exemption from the product name.
How do I check whether an alpaca blanket is genuine?
Commission fibre identification on bulk material and compare the result with the order and label. Softness alone cannot establish composition; also check coarse hairs, shedding and cleaning performance.