Sourcing woven chemical splash suits from China

12% duty, with conditional medical suspensions

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6210 covers garments made from felt, nonwovens and specified coated or treated fabrics. This guide concerns coated woven chemical splash suits. The other men's and women's garment lines are candidates for classification; the outer-garment rows help compare separately supplied protective coats.

The supplied facts show 12% duty for goods from China on every listed line, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no attached import controls. Codes 6210 40 00 00 and 6210 50 00 00 have conditional 0.00 % suspensions for specified surgical or medical protective garments. The latter suspension expressly includes qualifying unisex garments. Industrial chemical splash protection alone does not establish eligibility. The outer-garment comparison lines have no listed suspension.

Confirm the commodity code using the fabric construction, coating, garment design and intended use. Ask your customs broker to check classification and any suspension conditions before shipment. For the wider heading and nonwoven alternatives, see disposable nonwoven coveralls.

Specify chemical exposure, coating and sealed seams

Describe the chemicals, concentration, temperature and expected contact, including splashes, spray or prolonged wetting. The manufacturer must assess the risks applying to its protective equipment. Ask for supporting evidence for the exact fabric, seams and finished suit against your intended exposure. A waterproof coating alone does not establish chemical protection.

Specify the woven base fabric, coating material, coated face, fabric weight, seam sealing, zip and protective flap. Agree hood movement, glove and boot overlaps, cuff adjustment and a size chart for wearing the suit over work clothes. If reuse is intended, obtain the supplier's cleaning instructions and ask how cleaning affects the claimed protection.

Before sale in Great Britain, protective suits need conformity assessment appropriate to their risk category. Most new personal protective equipment needs CE or UKCA marking, a declaration of conformity and English instructions. The importer must provide its name, registered trade name or trademark and postal address on the equipment, with a packaging exception where marking the equipment is not possible. Use testing and certification to match the documents to the proposed model.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 500 coated woven chemical splash suits; illustrative order, FOB value and freight under 6210 40 00 00, invoiced at £11,800 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £12,600. Duty at 12% is £1,512. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £14,112, so it is £2,822.40. Import taxes total £4,334.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,512 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Coating: compare the woven backing and coating with the approved sample; inspect for pinholes, cracking, tackiness and separation at folds.

Seams and closure: inspect sealed crotch, underarm and hood seams for gaps, lifted tape and exposed stitching; check that the zip flap stays closed during movement.

Fit and interfaces: measure supplied sizes and trial the suit over work clothes with the intended gloves and boots; check reach, bending and overlap at openings.

Documents and packing: match model identifiers, CE or UKCA marking, declaration, importer details and English instructions; inspect for dampness and packing damage. Arrange quality inspection against the agreed specification.

What goes wrong

A factory can substitute a different coating or seam tape while keeping the same outward appearance. Coating can crack at folds, tape can lift around curved seams, and a short zip flap can expose the closure when the wearer bends. Compare production samples with the approved construction and supporting reports.

A fabric report can leave seams and closures unaddressed, while a generic certificate may describe another model. Resolve mismatches before accepting shipment. Keep industrial chemical protection separate from surgical or medical suspension claims; the supplier's description alone does not prove tariff eligibility.

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.