Sourcing carded camel hair batts from China

Zero duty and species checks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 October 2026, heading 5105 covers carded or combed wool and fine or coarse animal hair. For carded camel hair batts, check 5105 39 00 00, the other fine animal hair line. Every supplied line carries 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension recorded. The table includes wool and cashmere comparators, rather than alternative camel hair codes.

The camel hair line carries CITES import and export controls. If the species is listed in the relevant CITES annexes, a permit is required; ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable documents before shipment from China. Qualifying treated hair can come from any country without a health certificate or veterinary checks. Ask APHA or your customs broker whether a commercial document identifying the parties, origin, quantity, species and treatment method is required. Obtain the factory's treatment record rather than relying on the word 'carded'.

Confirm the commodity code against fibre identity, composition and processing stage, particularly for blends or material processed beyond carding. For the wider heading and a different fibre presentation, see combed camel hair tops.

Specify the camel fibre and batt structure

Specify camel species and source, fibre composition, whether the hair is dehaired, mean fibre diameter, length distribution and acceptable guard hair, grease and vegetable matter. Describe whether the batt is loose carded fibre or has undergone further bonding or felting. Keep an approved sample and request a matching lot test report.

Agree batt dimensions, weight per area, thickness, colour, layer uniformity and packing compression. Trial the material in your intended felting or filling process before ordering the production lot. For resale as textile material, fibre names and composition information must follow textile labelling rules. The label must show fibre content.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative packed lot of carded camel hair batts for a craft supplier under 5105 39 00 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £7,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,500, so it is £1,500. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: sample across packages and check camel fibre content and guard hair against the approved sample and lot report.

Structure: compare batt dimensions, weight per area and thickness; open compressed packs and inspect thin patches, clumps and layer separation.

Cleanliness: check vegetable matter, grease, foreign fibres, dampness, staining and odour throughout the batt.

Traceability: match package marks to the packing list, species declaration and treatment record; retain samples from the delivered lot.

What goes wrong

A soft sample can conceal a production lot with more guard hair or substituted wool. Uneven carding leaves thin areas and dense clumps; compressed packing can distort layers. Damp or greasy fibre develops odour and staining. Inspect material from inside several packages, rather than judging the exposed surface.

An invoice saying only 'camel hair' leaves species and treatment unclear. Resolve these details before dispatch and have the broker check the CITES control. Compare the production lot with the retained sample before accepting it. Arrange quality inspection around fibre identity and batt consistency.

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.