Sourcing cotton cellular blankets from China

Duty on cotton cellular blankets

Heading 6301 covers blankets and travelling rugs. This guide focuses on non-electric cotton cellular blankets. The cotton lines distinguish knitted or crocheted construction from other construction, with a separate hand-made line. The table shows knitted and crocheted options separately under the same code. See the blankets and throws guide for the wider heading.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 19 October 2026, non-knitted cotton blankets from China carry 6% duty, including the hand-made line; knitted or crocheted cotton blankets carry 12%. The cotton lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls.

Confirm the actual fibre composition and construction before choosing the commodity code. Do not classify a blanket from the word cellular alone: give your customs broker the fabric specification and a sample.

Specify the cellular structure and wash performance

Specify cotton composition, woven or knitted construction, cell pattern, fabric weight, finished dimensions, colour and edge finish. Approve a physical sample showing the openness of the cells and the feel after washing. Agree how dimensions and weight will be measured, and record acceptable shrinkage and distortion in the order.

For sale in Great Britain, the label must show fibre content. Use a durable, legible composition label and check it against fabric testing. Importers are responsible for ensuring consumer products are safe. State the intended use, especially for baby blankets, and arrange a safety assessment for that use rather than treating the open structure as proof of safety.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative wholesale order of woven cotton cellular blankets under 6301 30 90 90, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £27,000. Duty at 6% is £1,620. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £28,620, so it is £5,724. Import taxes total £7,344; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,620 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fabric: compare the cellular pattern, weight, colour and handle with the approved sample; check fibre composition against the label and specification.

Washing: measure before and after the agreed care wash; check shrinkage, skewing, colour transfer and whether the cells lose their shape.

Edges: pull hems or bindings gently and inspect corners for loose stitching, fraying, long loose threads and snagged loops.

Arrival: open sampled cartons, check quantities and sizes, look for dampness or mould, and compare labels with the approved artwork. Record findings through quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A sample can have a firm cellular structure while bulk fabric has looser yarns and snags easily. Washing can shrink the blanket unevenly or twist its edges. Weak binding stitches allow fraying, and an untested cotton claim can conceal a different fibre composition.

Keep the approved sample and washed sample as order references. Compare production fabric before shipment and repeat the wash check on arrival. Ask for corrections when cell structure, dimensions, labels or edge finish differ from the agreed specification.

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.