Sourcing bridal garters from China

Bridal garter duty and classification

Heading 6212 covers brassières, girdles, corsets, braces, suspenders, garters and similar articles, whether or not knitted or crocheted. Bridal garters fall within the other articles line, 6212 90 00 00. The table shows style variants sharing that commodity code.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the supplied tariff record shows 6% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls for this line. Import VAT is 20%.

Confirm the finished product's commodity code before shipment, particularly when combining garters with other bridal accessories. For the wider product family, see suspender belts.

Specify the elastic fit and bridal finish

Specify relaxed circumference, comfortable stretched circumference, elastic width and recovery, lace pattern, satin colour, lining and seam position. Approve a physical sample against the intended thigh size range. Agree whether the retail pack contains a keepsake garter, a throwing garter or a matching set.

In Great Britain, consumer products must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use, and importers are responsible for product safety. For bridal garters, assess sharp decoration edges, exposed wire ends and insecure beads. Specify how bows and decorations are attached, and retain an approved sample for comparison.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 1,000 bridal garters under 6212 90 00 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,800. Duty at 6% is £408. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,208, so it is £1,441.60. Import taxes total £1,849.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £408 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fit: measure relaxed and stretched circumference against the specification, then check elastic recovery and whether the garter slips or pinches during a fit trial.

Skin-facing finish: check lace edges, seam bulk, exposed elastic and glue residue against the approved sample. Inspect for rough edges and protruding decoration fixings.

Decorations: pull-check bows, beads and charms using the agreed inspection method. Check positioning, attachment stitching and whether embellishments snag dress fabric.

Colour and packing: check ivory or white shades together, test colour transfer from contrasting ribbon, and inspect for crushed bows, stains and incorrect set contents. Arrange quality inspection before dispatch.

What goes wrong

A garter can match the sample visually yet fit badly because the factory substitutes elastic or changes the gathered fabric length. Loose elastic slips down; excessive tension leaves marks. Approve fit and recovery as well as appearance, and require approval before material substitutions.

Mixed ivory shades, scratchy lace, twisted seams and glued decorations can spoil the finished product. Packing can flatten bows or snag lace on exposed charms. Compare arrival samples with the retained approval sample and trial the complete retail packaging before production.

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.