Sourcing hybrid nylon-polyester cord from China

Duty and classification of hybrid cord fabric

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 6 October 2026, heading 5902 covers tyre cord fabric of high-tenacity nylon or other polyamide, polyester or viscose rayon yarn. The relevant nylon and polyester lines all carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied snapshot lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls.

The table shows possible nylon and polyester lines for checking, rather than an automatic classification for every hybrid. Give your customs broker the fibre proportions, yarn construction and treatment details. Ask the factory to distinguish its adhesive dip from rubber impregnation before confirming the commodity code. See the wider nylon tyre cord fabric guide.

Specify the nylon-polyester cord construction

Specify how nylon and polyester are combined within the cord, each component's yarn count, fibre proportions, twist direction and level, cord density, weft construction, fabric width and roll length. Agree breaking strength, elongation at a stated load, heat shrinkage and adhesion to your rubber compound. Record conditioning, test methods and acceptance criteria so the factory and your laboratory compare the same material.

For Great Britain supply, obtain a UK REACH Candidate List declaration covering the finished fabric and its treatment. If an article contains a listed substance above 0.1% by weight, its supplier must give the recipient sufficient safe-use information, including the substance name. Producing, importing or supplying articles containing listed substances may also trigger notification to HSE. Assess those duties against the factory's substance information.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 2 tonnes of rubber-impregnated hybrid fabric, assuming confirmed nylon classification (illustrative) under 5902 10 10 00, invoiced at £14,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £15,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £15,200, so it is £3,040. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Construction: check component yarn identities, proportions and twist against the approved construction sheet; retain labelled samples from the production lot.

Performance: check lot results for strength, elongation and heat shrinkage using the agreed conditioning; test adhesion with your own rubber compound and curing process.

Fabric and rolls: check width, cord density, weft spacing, roll length, splices, loose ends, knots and contamination against the purchase specification.

Packing and traceability: check sealed moisture-resistant wrapping, roll and lot identification, production dates and agreed storage life; inspect arriving rolls for dampness and crushed edges.

What goes wrong

A supplier can quote a hybrid description while leaving the component yarns or twist construction unclear. A replacement yarn or changed dip can then alter the agreed strength, shrinkage or adhesion results. Require written approval for changes and compare production samples with the approved construction.

An acceptable strength certificate does not establish adhesion to your compound. Moisture, heat and ageing can also undermine dipped fabric during storage and transit. Agree storage conditions, keep retained samples and investigate failed rolls by lot before releasing them to production. Use the quality inspection guide to brief the inspection.

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.