Braids and decorative trimmings from China

4% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, braids in the piece and other ornamental trimmings in the piece without embroidery, including tassels and pompons, heading 5808, carried 4% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure and no suspension that applies to ordinary trims.

Embroidered trims are heading 5810, lace is 5804, and woven ribbons and tapes are narrow woven fabrics of 5806, so a mixed haberdashery order can carry several codes; confirm the commodity code for each trim.

Where trims are used

Trims usually go into someone else's product, so ask the buyer's end use. On children's clothing, decorative cords and loops must meet BS EN 14682 on cords and drawstrings, which limits cords at the hood and neck, and dyed trims in contact with skin fall under the azo dye restriction in entry 43 of Annex XVII of UK REACH.

Trims sold direct to consumers must be safe under the [General Product Safety Regulations 2005](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1803/contents). Garment makers also need the fibre composition for their own labels under the [textile labelling regulations](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1102/contents), so ask the factory to state it for each trim.

Worked duty example

Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 50,000 metres of polyester pom-pom and fringe trim on cards under 5808 90 00 00. At £6,000 free on board and £600 to ship and insure, the customs value is £6,600. Decorative trim at 4% pay £264 of duty; VAT is then worked out on value plus duty, £6,864, giving £1,372.80. Of the £1,636.80 paid at import, only the £264 of duty stays a cost for a VAT-registered business. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.

Inspection checklist

Colour and fastness: compare each colour with the approved card under a light box, and test colour fastness to washing by ISO 105-C06 and to rubbing by ISO 105-X12, with dark trims tested against the lightest fabric they will be sewn onto.

Shrinkage and construction: wash samples by an ISO 6330 procedure and measure the dimensional change by ISO 5077, then check that fringes and pompons stay attached, braid edges do not fray, and the width stays within the tolerance agreed in the order.

Rolls and cards: measure the length of sampled rolls and cards against the stated metres, check that joins per roll are within the agreed number, and check the colour code and length on the label match the roll.

What goes wrong

Trims fail on colour, shrinkage and length. Dark braids bleed onto light fabric in the first wash, cotton trims shrink and pucker the seam they are sewn into, pompons and fringe threads pull out, metallic threads tarnish, and rolls come up short or with several joins.

Test colour fastness and shrinkage on samples, pull-test pompons and fringes, measure roll lengths, and check the trim against the buyer's end use before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources braids, pompom and fringe trims and cords for garment makers, upholsterers and craft shops, and has no minimum order of its own; the factory's minimum per colour applies. For a first range, see small orders.