Sourcing Cotton Produce Sacks from China

Duty on cotton packing sacks

Heading 6305 covers sacks and bags of a kind used for packing goods. This guide concerns empty cotton sacks for packing produce. The table separates product forms within the cotton lines; several forms share a code. See the bulk bags and woven sacks guide for the wider heading.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 November 2026, cotton packing sacks from China carry 6% duty under both cotton lines. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for these lines.

Confirm the material, construction and packing use through finding your commodity code. The illustrative order uses a woven cotton packing sack; its values are examples rather than a supplier quotation.

Fabric, produce and closure specification

State the intended produce, whether it touches the sack directly, and whether the sack will be washed and reused. Specify cotton composition, woven or knitted construction, fabric weight, mesh opening where relevant, finished dimensions, seam construction and closure. Agree the intended filled load and an acceptance test using representative produce.

If you package food yourself, you must use packaging suitable for food use. Ask the supplier for evidence covering the finished fabric, dyes, print and any treatments under the intended contact conditions. Agree washing instructions and acceptable shrinkage before approving a reusable design; a sample that looks clean does not establish suitability for food use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 6,000 woven cotton produce sacks under 6305 20 00 90, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,800. Duty at 6% is £588. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £10,388, so it is £2,077.60. Import taxes total £2,665.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £588 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fabric and size: compare construction, fabric weight, mesh openings and finished dimensions with the approved sample; check for loose fibres and uneven knitting.

Seams and closure: fill samples with representative produce, lift and handle them, and check seam opening, drawstring pull-through and closure security.

Washing and print: wash reusable samples by the agreed method; check shrinkage, distorted openings, colour transfer and print rubbing.

Cleanliness and evidence: inspect for dampness, mould, odour and foreign matter; match food-use evidence to the supplied fabric, colour, print and treatment.

What goes wrong

An open mesh can let smaller produce escape, while a fabric chosen without a filling trial may snag stems or shed fibres. Weak bottom seams and poorly secured drawstrings can fail during handling. Agree the sack against the actual produce and filling method, rather than approving it empty.

Reusable sacks can shrink until the mouth no longer fits the filling arrangement. Damp packing can leave mould or odour on arrival. Changing dye, print or finishing treatment after sample approval can also leave the buyer with evidence that does not describe the delivered sack.

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.