Sourcing cotton pointelle fabric from China

8% duty on the cotton lines

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the cotton lines within heading 6006, other knitted or crocheted fabrics, carry 8% duty for goods from China. They distinguish unbleached or bleached, dyed, different coloured yarns and printed fabric. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or import controls for these cotton lines.

The heading also contains wool or fine animal hair and other-fibre lines with CITES controls attached. These controls are not recorded against the cotton lines selected here. If the fabric's composition moves it to a controlled line, confirm the requirement with your customs broker.

Pointelle describes the hole pattern; it does not settle classification. Confirm fibre composition, knitting construction, width and elastane content using finding your commodity code. For wider heading coverage, see cotton rib knit fabric.

Specify the pointelle pattern and finished fabric

Approve a physical swatch showing hole shape, spacing, pattern repeat and direction. Specify fibre composition, yarn count, finished weight, usable width, colour and finish. State whether the fabric is supplied tubular or opened out. Agree stretch and recovery, wash shrinkage and acceptable snagging against the intended garment.

Fabric sold to consumers by the metre needs fibre composition labelling. Confirm the permitted fibre names with Trading Standards. For garment production, verify the mill's composition before using it for the finished garment label. Confirm applicable UK REACH restrictions on azo dyes that release aromatic amines in textiles in prolonged skin contact with HSE; request relevant chemical testing for dyed or printed qualities.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 8,000 metres of dyed cotton pointelle fabric in rolls, illustrative only under 6006 22 00 00, invoiced at £12,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £13,200. Duty at 8% is £1,056. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £14,256, so it is £2,851.20. Import taxes total £3,907.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,056 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Pattern: compare relaxed fabric with the approved swatch; check missing holes, enlarged openings, broken yarns, ladders and needle lines throughout sampled rolls.

Weight and width: measure finished weight and usable width after relaxation; check that stretching the fabric has not made a light, narrow roll appear compliant.

Wash stability: wash a sample using the intended care method; compare shrinkage, twist, pattern distortion and recovery with the agreed specification.

Shade and handling: compare rolls and edge-to-centre shade with the approved colour sample; check colour transfer, snagging, dampness and roll identification on arrival.

What goes wrong

Intentional pointelle openings can hide dropped stitches and broken yarns. Holes become uneven when knitting tension or finishing changes, while snagging can turn a small opening into a ladder. Inspect the pattern against the approved swatch, rather than accepting every opening as part of the design.

A fabric that looks correct under tension can shrink, twist or lose its pattern after washing. Shade differences can leave adjoining garment panels visibly mismatched. Keep approved samples and dye-lot records, and inspect before bulk cutting. Use an agreed quality inspection plan.

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.