Sourcing cashmere and fine hair yarn from China
Yarn of fine animal hair, carded or combed and not put up for retail sale, from China, such as cashmere, yak, camel, angora and alpaca yarn for knitwear mills, pays 2% UK duty on all four lines of heading 5108, with no anti-dumping duty. Every line carries a CITES check. Mills check fibre content and micron, count, twist, colour and pilling.
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2% duty and the CITES check
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 November 2026, heading 5108 covers yarn of fine animal hair, carded or combed, not put up for retail sale, split into carded and combed, unbleached and other. All four lines carried 2% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Every line carries a CITES import control, answered by declaring that no protected species are used; hair from CITES-listed species needs the appropriate CITES import and export documents, depending on its listing.
The fibre itself is covered in our cashmere and animal hair guide, and wool yarn in our worsted wool yarn guide; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carded fine hair yarn, unbleached | 5108 10 10 00 | 2% | None |
| Carded fine hair yarn, other | 5108 10 90 00 | 2% | None |
| Combed fine hair yarn, unbleached | 5108 20 10 00 | 2% | None |
| Combed fine hair yarn, other | 5108 20 90 00 | 2% | None |
Specifying fine hair yarn
Specify fibre and content, micron and length, carded (woollen-spun) or combed (worsted-spun), metric count, ply and twist, dyeing, and cone weight. Garments and textiles sold to consumers need fibre composition labels under the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012, and terms such as cashmere must match the fibre supplied.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 300 kg of dyed 2/26 Nm cashmere yarn under 5108 10 90 00, invoiced at £36,000 free on board, with £400 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £36,400. Duty at 2% is £728. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £37,128, so it is £7,425.60. Import taxes total £8,153.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £728 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Fibre: test content and micron on samples; cashmere blending is the main risk.
Yarn: check count, twist and evenness.
Knit test: knit panels and check pilling and handle after washing. See our quality inspection guide.
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What goes wrong
Fine hair yarn orders fail on content, micron and pilling. Cashmere is blended with wool or coarser hair, micron is coarser than paid for, and knitwear pills quickly.
Cambridge China Bridge sources fabrics and yarns for UK brands from small lots, with fibre testing agreed first; see small orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on cashmere yarn from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 November 2026, fine animal hair yarn under heading 5108 carried 2% from China.
Is retail-packed cashmere yarn in heading 5108?
No. Yarn of fine animal hair put up for retail sale is heading 5109.
How do I check cashmere content?
Have a textile laboratory test fibre content and micron on samples.
Why is there a CITES check?
Every line carries a CITES control; declare that no protected species are used.