Sourcing fibreglass woven roving from China

Duty on woven roving fabric

Heading 7019 covers glass fibres and their articles, including rovings and woven fabrics. This guide concerns woven roving fabric for composite reinforcement, rather than loose roving yarn. See the chopped strand mat guide for another product family within the wider heading.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the selected lines carry 6% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty recorded. The specified epoxy-impregnated fabric line has a 0.00 % suspension subject to its description and exclusions. This is not a blanket exemption for epoxy-treated woven roving.

Confirm the commodity code using weave, width, impregnation and dispatch country. Some other fabric lines in this heading carry supplementary-unit and waste controls. The UK Trade Tariff attaches those controls; the importer should confirm the requirement for goods from China with their customs broker. For landed-cost calculations, see UK import duty and VAT.

Specify the weave and resin compatibility

Specify glass type, roving linear density, fabric mass per unit area, weave, width, roll length and acceptable joins. State whether the fabric is dry reinforcement or resin-impregnated material. Agree tolerances and a retained sample before placing the order.

Name the resin system and ask the factory to identify the sizing used. Trial the fabric with your own resin and process, checking wet-out, handling and the cured laminate. Request batch certificates, handling advice and information on sizing and coatings.

Employers must plan, manage and monitor substances hazardous to health. Obtain the supplier's safety information before deciding how workers will cut and handle the fabric.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of woven roving rolls for a small composites workshop under 7019 61 00 84, invoiced at £21,000 free on board, with £2,400 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £23,400. Duty at 6% is £1,404. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,804, so it is £4,960.80. Import taxes total £6,364.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,404 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Weight and dimensions: weigh measured fabric cuts and check width, roll length and roving linear density against the agreed specification.

Weave: unroll samples to check missing or broken rovings, gaps, distortion, frayed edges and undeclared joins against the retained sample.

Resin compatibility: compare sizing details and batch certificates, then check sampled fabric wets out with the intended resin.

Arrival condition: check wrapping, moisture, crushed cores and contamination; match roll labels to batch records. Use the inspection guide to prepare the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

Fabric supplied below its agreed weight changes the reinforcement in the laminate. Sizing that does not suit the resin gives poor wet-out. Distorted weave, broken rovings and unexpected joins make cutting and lay-up harder; damp or dirty rolls need investigation before use.

A sample can perform well while the shipment uses different sizing or roving. Compare shipment batches with the approved sample and trial incoming material before releasing it into production. Keep suspect rolls identified and separate while the factory investigates.

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.