Sourcing carded mohair batts from China

Duty and controls on carded mohair

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 October 2026, heading 5105 covers carded or combed wool and animal hair. Carded mohair batts fall within other carded or combed fine animal hair, code 5105 39 00 00. The table shows buying formats within that same tariff line. For the wider heading and the combed form, see combed mohair tops.

The recorded duty for goods from China is 0%, with no anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension listed. The line attaches CITES import and export controls. Where the fibre comes from a listed species, CITES permission may be required. Obtain the species identity and ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable requirement before shipping; the tariff flag alone does not establish whether a particular mohair lot needs a permit.

Treated hair meeting the official treatment conditions can come from any country without a health certificate or veterinary checks. A commercial document must identify the consignor, consignee, origin, quantity, species and treatment or processing method. Ask for the factory's washing record and confirm the treatment route rather than relying on the word 'carded'. Confirm the commodity code against the actual fibre composition and processing stage.

Specify the mohair and the batt structure

Specify mohair content and any added wool or other fibre, mean fibre diameter, fibre length, short-fibre content, kemp and vegetable matter. Agree batt dimensions, net weight, thickness uniformity and whether the material is loosely carded or further consolidated. Keep an approved sample showing the required handle and how readily the batt opens for spinning.

For dyed batts, approve a shade sample and check colour transfer during handling and your intended washing process. Agree packing that keeps the batts dry without compressing them into hard lumps. Textile labels must show fibre content; compare the proposed label with the fibre test before resale.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 200 kg of undyed carded mohair batts 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

Fibre identity: compare laboratory fibre identification and composition results with the order and supplier's lot records.

Carding: open samples from different packs and check thin patches, dense ridges, neps, short fibres, kemp and trapped vegetable matter.

Weight and condition: check net pack weight, batt dimensions, dampness, yellowing, odour and packing-fibre contamination.

Documents and labels: match lot references, species, treatment records, commercial documents and fibre labels to the delivered packs.

What goes wrong

A soft surface sample can hide coarse hair or short fibres deeper in the batt. Uneven carding leaves dense patches that draft differently, while compression can make the delivered material harder to open than the approved sample. Compare opened packs with retained samples and run a trial using the buyer's intended spinning or felting process.

Mixed fibres, shade variation, damp packing and missing treatment details can undermine the order. Agree how rejected packs will be identified and resolved before dispatch. Use testing and certification support to arrange fibre checks against the purchase specification.

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.