Sourcing bras and lingerie from China
Bras, bra-and-brief sets, girdles, corselettes and similar corsetry from China pay 6% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. Corsetry has its own fibre labelling rule: a bra can state the composition of the whole product or of the outside and inside fabric of the cups and back. The band and cup size grid drives the minimum order. Cambridge China Bridge sources own-label lingerie.
Bras, girdles and corsetry pay 6% UK duty from China. Corsetry has its own fibre labelling rule, and the size grid sets the minimum order.
6% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, brassières, including sets made up for retail sale with a pair of briefs, girdles and panty girdles, corselettes and other corsetry carried 6% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
That is half the 12% on most knitted underwear and nightwear, so classification matters for a mixed lingerie range; confirm the commodity code for each item.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brassières in a retail set with a pair of briefs | 6212 10 10 00 | 6% | None |
| Other brassières | 6212 10 90 00 | 6% | None |
| Girdles and panty girdles | 6212 20 00 00 | 6% | None |
| Other corsetry | 6212 90 00 00 | 6% | None |
The corsetry labelling rule
Annex IV of Regulation 1007/2011, as it applies in Great Britain, sets how corsetry shows its fibre composition. For a brassière, the label may state the composition of the whole product or, together or separately, that of the outside and the inside fabric of the surface of the cups and back; for corsets and girdles, the front, rear and side panels; and for corselettes, the cups, the front and rear stiffening panels and the side panels.
Decide which form the label uses before the artwork is made, because the factory needs the fabric composition of each component, and check it against the fabric tests at inspection.
Fit and the size grid
A bra range is a grid of band and cup sizes, and every size needs its own pattern, cup mould and grading. Agree the grid, the quantity in each size, and UK sizing on a UK fit model before the factory quotes, because the minimum order applies across that grid.
Underwires, hooks and straps are the components that fail: ask for wire-penetration and strap-elasticity tests, and check the hook-and-eye tape and the wire channels on production pieces.
Materials and comfort
Lace, microfibre and spacer foam are sourced from specialist mills, so the fabric minimum per colour often sets the order size. Approve colour and hand on physical samples, and ask for colourfastness and skin-contact chemical testing for items worn against the skin.
Cambridge China Bridge sources own-label bras and lingerie, with the size grid, fit samples, labels and component tests agreed before production. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on bras from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, brassières, girdles, corselettes and other corsetry carried 6% duty from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
How must a bra's fibre composition be labelled?
Under Annex IV of Regulation 1007/2011 as it applies in Great Britain: the whole product, or the outside and inside fabric of the cups and back, together or separately.
Why is the minimum order for bras so high?
Every band and cup size needs its own pattern and cup mould, so the minimum applies across the whole size grid.
Which bra components need testing?
Underwires for penetration, straps for elasticity, and the hook-and-eye tape and wire channels on production pieces.