Sourcing hand-knitting yarn from China

Duty by fibre

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, yarn of man-made staple fibres put up for retail sale, heading 5511, carried 0% on goods from China on all three lines, whether 85% or more synthetic, a synthetic blend, or artificial fibre such as viscose. There was no anti-dumping measure and no suspension on the heading.

Blends are classified by the fibre that predominates by weight, so a wool-rich blend moves to heading 5109, where balls, hanks or skeins over 125 g and up to 500 g carried 2% and other retail wool yarn 4%. Cotton retail yarn of heading 5207 carried 0%. Whether yarn counts as put up for retail sale depends on the ball or hank weight rules in the Section XI notes, so confirm the commodity code with the put-up; cones and bulk yarn are in our spun polyester and acrylic yarn guide.

Fibre labels and ball bands

Yarn sold to consumers is a textile product under the [Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1102/contents), so the ball band must state the fibre composition using the permitted fibre names, for example acrylic rather than a brand name. Check the composition by test before the bands are printed.

The rest of the band is what the knitter buys on: net weight, length in metres, dye lot number, recommended needle and hook size, tension square and care symbols. Yarn sold by weight in constant nominal quantities falls under the [Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations 2006](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/659/contents), so agree how the factory conditions and weighs balls.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 4,000 kg of acrylic hand-knitting yarn in 100 g balls, commodity code 5511 10 00 00, bought for £22,000 free on board, with £2,200 of freight and insurance, so £24,200 is the value customs works from. No duty is due on retail acrylic yarn; import VAT at 20% of £24,200 is £4,840. If you are VAT-registered, that VAT is normally reclaimable. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

Inspection checklist

Linear density and length: test the yarn count by the skein method of ISO 2060 on samples conditioned in the standard atmosphere of ISO 139, and check the metres per ball printed on the band against the count and the ball weight. A heavier count gives fewer metres and changes the tension square.

Strength and colour: test single-end breaking force by ISO 2062, colour fastness to washing by ISO 105-C06 and to rubbing by ISO 105-X12, and compare every dye lot with the approved lab dip and the previous lot under a light box.

Packs: weigh a sample of balls from each lot against the nominal weight on the band, check the dye lot number on the band matches the carton, check the ball winds off without knots or breaks, and check the care symbols follow ISO 3758.

What goes wrong

Yarn fails on dye lots, weight and handle. Colours drift between lots so a knitter cannot finish a garment from a second purchase, balls come in under the stated weight or metres, acrylic pills or splits when knitted, and dark shades bleed on the first wash. Bands state the wrong fibre composition or a brand name instead of the fibre name.

Order enough of each dye lot for the season, keep a retained skein of every lot, test composition, count, strength and colour fastness before shipping, and weigh sampled balls. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources own-label acrylic, blended and cotton yarn for craft retailers and online shops, and has no minimum order of its own; the spinner's minimum per colour applies. If your current yarn supplier's lots are drifting, see adding a second supplier.