Elastic cord and rubber thread from China
Textile-covered rubber thread and elastic cord, such as round hat elastic, shirring elastic and beading cord, and coated or impregnated textile yarn pay 4% UK duty from China, with no anti-dumping duty. Elastic is bought on stretch, recovery and how it ages, and skin-contact rubber brings latex and PAH questions. Cambridge China Bridge sources elastic cord and thread.
Textile-covered elastic cord, shirring elastic and rubber thread from China pay 4% UK duty. Stretch and recovery, latex, PAH limits and a worked example.
4% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, rubber thread and cord covered with textile, and textile yarn and strip impregnated, coated, covered or sheathed with rubber or plastics, heading 5604, carried 4% on goods from China on all nine lines, with no anti-dumping measure and no suspension.
Flat woven or knitted elastic is a narrow fabric of heading 5806 rather than 5604, trims and braids are in our braids and trimmings guide, and plastic monofilament is in our synthetic monofilament guide; confirm the commodity code from the construction.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rubber thread and cord, textile covered (elastic cord) | 5604 10 00 00 | 4% | None |
| High-tenacity synthetic filament yarn, coated or impregnated, other | 5604 90 10 90 | 4% | None |
| Other coated, impregnated or sheathed textile yarn | 5604 90 90 90 | 4% | None |
Rubber, latex and skin contact
Most elastic cord has a natural rubber core. For products worn against the skin, entry 50 of [Annex XVII of UK REACH](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2006/1907/annex/XVII) limits eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rubber and plastic parts in direct and prolonged skin contact, so ask for test results on the cord you are buying. Users with latex allergy need to know, so state natural rubber on the label or offer a synthetic-core alternative.
Elastic sold on to consumers must be safe under the [General Product Safety Regulations 2005](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1803/contents); elastic used in toys or children's clothing must also meet the rules for those products.
Worked duty example
Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 5 tonnes of textile-covered elastic cord on spools under 5604 10 00 00. At £16,000 free on board and £1,200 to ship and insure, the customs value is £17,200. Elastic cord at 4% pay £688 of duty; VAT is then worked out on value plus duty, £17,888, giving £3,577.60. Of the £4,265.60 paid at import, only the £688 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
Stretch and recovery: test elongation at a set load and recovery after repeated cycling by the method of BS EN 14704-3, or an equivalent agreed in the order, on cord from several spools, and compare with the approved sample.
Ageing and heat: expose samples to the heat, washing or UV conditions the end product will see, then retest recovery and check the covering for breaks, because natural rubber loses stretch as it ages.
Dimensions and put-up: measure cord diameter and the length on sampled spools or cards against the label, check colour against the card under daylight, and check joins per spool are within the number agreed.
What goes wrong
Elastic fails on recovery, ageing and length. Cord loses its snap after a few weeks or a wash, rubber cores perish and break inside the covering, the covering frays and exposes the rubber, spools come up short, and dark cord bleeds onto light fabric.
Test stretch and recovery on samples from several spools, age-test before a big order, measure spool lengths, and ask for PAH results for skin-contact uses. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources elastic cord, shirring elastic and coated threads for garment makers, craft suppliers and packaging firms, and has no minimum order of its own; the factory's minimum per colour applies. See small orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on elastic cord from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, textile-covered rubber thread and cord (5604 10 00 00) carried 4% from China.
Is flat elastic in the same code?
No. Flat woven or knitted elastic is a narrow fabric of heading 5806.
Why does elastic lose its stretch?
Natural rubber ages with heat, washing and light; age-test samples and check recovery before ordering.
Does elastic need chemical testing?
For skin-contact uses, ask for results against the PAH limits in entry 50 of UK REACH Annex XVII.