Sourcing fishing fyke nets from China

A flat 8% duty on textile fyke nets

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 5608 covers knotted netting and made-up fishing nets and other nets of textile materials. Every listed line carries 8% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls.

For complete synthetic fyke nets, distinguish fishing nets made from twine, cordage, rope or cables from other synthetic fishing nets. Natural-fibre fishing nets use the other-material branch. The unfinished-netting row concerns material for assembly, rather than a complete fyke net. Confirm the commodity code against the actual construction and shipment.

Import classification and fishing permission are separate checks. England requires written permission to use nets in inland waters. For wider fishing-net sourcing, see our gill-net guide.

Specify the hoops, funnels and otter-guard fittings

Specify the fibre, twine construction, mesh measurement method, bag length, hoop shape and material, funnel openings, leader and wing dimensions, seams and cod-end closure. State whether the order includes hoops, guards, attachment ties and replacement netting. Approve an assembled sample, including a wet deployment and retrieval check.

Ask the buyer to confirm the intended water, target species and fishing purpose before agreeing the design. In England, permission for yellow and silver eel fishing is only available to those already authorised to fish. The Environment Agency's eel-survey procedure says fyke nets must be tagged and fitted with otter guards; agree the guard and tag arrangements for the intended use.

For consumer sales in Great Britain, general product safety guidance requires products to be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Check exposed hoop ends, sharp fittings and handling instructions. Arrange testing and certification support around the actual product and intended use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 8 fishing fyke nets; illustrative order, FOB value and freight under 5608 11 20 00, invoiced at £2,000 free on board, with £648 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,648. Duty at 8% is £211.84. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,859.84, so it is £571.97. Import taxes total £783.81; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £211.84 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Mesh and twine: measure sampled mesh using the agreed method, compare fibre and twine construction with the sample, and check knots, seams and joins for slipping.

Hoops and funnels: assemble the net, check hoop shape and attachment, and confirm that funnels remain open and aligned when the net is set.

Guards and closures: check guard fit and fastening, tag attachment points and cod-end closure; look for gaps, loose ties and exposed metal ends.

Packing and arrival: check for bent hoops, torn netting, missing fittings and damp packaging. Record defects against the batch and approved sample using the inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A supplier measures stretched mesh while the buyer measures the opening, so apparently matching figures describe different nets. Thin twine, loose seams and distorted hoops change the funnel shape. A poorly secured cod end lets catches escape. Agree the measurement method and inspect a fully assembled net rather than loose netting alone.

A generic guard may not fit the entrance hoop, while compressed packing can bend hoops or damage seams. Buying stock before checking the customer's fishing authorisation can also leave the buyer with nets unsuitable for the intended work. Confirm intended-use requirements before approving the production sample.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.