Sourcing cotton-elastane jersey from China

8% duty on cotton-elastane jersey

Heading 6004 covers knitted or crocheted fabrics over 30 cm wide containing at least 5% elastomeric yarn or rubber thread, excluding fabrics of heading 6001. For cotton-elastane jersey without rubber thread, the relevant listed line is 6004 10 00 91. Only this line in the supplied facts fits the product family, so the table contains that line alone.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the cotton line carried 8% duty for goods from China. The supplied snapshot records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for this line. The wider heading includes a 6% other-fabrics line; that is not the rate used here for cotton-elastane jersey.

Give your customs broker the knitting construction, fibre composition, elastane share, finished width and confirmation that there is no rubber thread. Confirm the commodity code before shipment. See the knitted fabrics guide for the wider fabric family.

Specify the jersey after finishing

State the cotton and elastane composition, yarn count, mass per square metre, usable width after finishing, colour and finish. Agree stretch and recovery in both fabric directions, washing conditions and acceptable shrinkage and spirality. Keep an approved fabric sample and lab dip, and make a sample garment before bulk cutting.

For fabric sold by the metre to consumers, confirm fibre-composition information and permitted fibre names with Trading Standards. For garment production, verify the mill's composition before using it for garment labels. Confirm applicable UK REACH restrictions on azo dyes and aromatic amines with HSE for textiles contacting skin; request relevant test reports for dyed or printed fabric.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: A trial batch of cotton-elastane jersey rolls, illustrative only under 6004 10 00 91, invoiced at £3,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,800. Duty at 8% is £384. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,184, so it is £1,036.80. Import taxes total £1,420.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £384 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Weight and width: measure mass per square metre and usable width across sampled rolls against the agreed finished specification.

Stretch and washing: check extension and recovery in both directions, then wash samples and measure shrinkage and spirality before cutting.

Shade and colour fastness: compare rolls and fabric edges with the centre against the approved lab dip; check washing and rubbing results.

Surface and roll records: inspect for barré, needle lines, holes and curled edges; reconcile roll lengths, weights and dye-lot identification. Use an agreed scope for quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A jersey can match the sample shade yet arrive lighter or narrower than specified. Poor wash stability twists garment side seams, while weak recovery leaves stretched areas baggy. Roll-to-roll shade differences create mismatched panels; needle lines and holes reduce usable fabric.

Keep dye lots separate until shade checks are complete. Compare arrival samples with the approved fabric, and trial the planned washing and cutting process before releasing rolls to production. Put agreed acceptance criteria in the order so a defect is judged against a recorded 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.