Sourcing curtains and blinds from China
Curtains, drapes and interior blinds of textile from China pay 12% UK duty, or 6% for nonwovens, with no anti-dumping duty. They need a fibre composition label, corded blinds must be designed against strangulation risk to children, and hotels and contract buyers usually require fire performance evidence. Cambridge China Bridge sources curtains and blinds for retail and contract projects.
Buying from China for a business? How our UK China sourcing agent service works · China sourcing agent for small orders and first imports
Duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, knitted curtains and blinds of synthetic fibres, woven curtains of synthetic fibres and other curtains carried 12% duty on goods from China, while nonwoven curtains of synthetic fibres carried 6%. No line carried an anti-dumping measure.
Blinds with slats of plastic, wood or metal are classified by their material rather than as textiles, so confirm the commodity code for each product. For bamboo blinds, see our bamboo mats and blinds guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knitted curtains and blinds of synthetic fibres | 6303 12 00 00 | 12% | None |
| Curtains of synthetic fibres, nonwoven | 6303 92 10 00 | 6% | None |
| Curtains of synthetic fibres, other | 6303 92 90 90 | 12% | None |
Labels, cords and fire
Curtains are textile products, so Article 14 of Regulation 1007/2011, as it applies in Great Britain, requires a durable, legible fibre composition label. Corded blinds bring a child safety question: looped cords and chains are a strangulation risk, so ask for cord-free or tensioned designs, safety devices and warnings, and test reports against the European standard for internal blinds, EN 13120.
Hotels, offices and other contract buyers usually specify a fire performance standard for curtains and ask for test certificates for the fabric, sometimes after washing. Agree the standard with the buyer before the fabric is chosen, because a flame retardant treatment or inherently flame retardant fibre changes the price. For healthcare projects, see our guide to hospital cubicle curtains.
Making up and sizing
Ready-made curtains are sold by width and drop in standard sizes, with the heading, eyelet, pencil pleat or tab, and lining specified. Contract curtains are made to measure from a schedule, so give the factory the window schedule and check the finished sizes at inspection.
Colour matching across widths and batches matters in a room, so keep batch numbers and approve a production shade.
Worked duty example
Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 8,000 pairs of ready-made polyester curtains under 6303 92 90 90. At £48,000 free on board and £3,000 to ship and insure, the customs value is £51,000. Woven polyester curtains at 12% pay £6,120 of duty; VAT is then worked out on value plus duty, £57,120, giving £11,424. Of the £17,544 paid at import, only the £6,120 of duty stays a cost for a VAT-registered business. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.
Inspection checklist
Fabric: dimensional change of face fabric and lining measured together after washing by ISO 6330 and ISO 5077, colour fastness to light by ISO 105-B02 on each colour, fibre content checked by the ISO 1833 series against the label, and blackout or dim-out claims checked on a light box against the approved sample.
Contract and fire: curtains for hotels and public buildings supplied with BS 5867-2 test reports for the exact fabric and finish, re-tested after washing where the buyer requires durability, and treatment batches recorded against the finished curtains.
Blinds and hardware: cord and chain safety devices on internal blinds checked against BS EN 13120 and BS EN 16434, warning labels and instructions checked on every pack, eyelets and hooks checked for corrosion after a salt spray test to ISO 9227 where specified, and finished width and drop measured on every size.
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What goes wrong
Curtains fail on size, colour and safety. The finished drop is shorter than the label after sewing or washing, the lining shrinks differently from the face fabric so hems pucker, and colours fade in sunlight within a season. Eyelets rust, heading tapes pull out, contract curtains lack the flame retardant performance the building needs, and corded blinds are supplied without the child safety devices of BS EN 13120.
Measure width and drop on every size, wash-test face fabric and lining together for shrinkage, test colour fastness to light to ISO 105-B02, pull-test eyelets and heading tape, ask for BS 5867-2 test reports for curtains used in hotels and public buildings, and check that blinds carry tensioning or breakaway devices and warnings to BS EN 13120.
Packing
Curtains crease in transit, so agree folding, interleaving and cartons that keep them flat. Cambridge China Bridge sources ready-made and made-to-measure curtains and blinds for retail, hotels and contract projects, with labels, cord safety and fire evidence settled before production. See how our sourcing service works.
Velvet curtain fabric is a pile fabric with its own duty rate; see our velvet and corduroy fabrics guide.
Tassel and fringe trims for curtains are covered in our braids and decorative trimmings guide.
Related guides: Bamboo and seagrass mats and blinds from China.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on curtains from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, curtains of synthetic fibres carried 12% duty from China, and nonwoven curtains 6%, with no anti-dumping duty.
What safety issue applies to blinds?
Looped cords and chains are a strangulation risk to children, so use cord-free or tensioned designs, safety devices and warnings, tested to EN 13120.
Do hotel curtains need fire testing?
Contract buyers usually specify a fire performance standard and ask for fabric test certificates, so agree it before choosing the fabric.
Do curtains need a fibre label?
Yes. Article 14 of Regulation 1007/2011, as it applies in Great Britain, requires fibre composition on a durable, legible label.