Sourcing knitted baby leggings from China

UK duty on knitted baby leggings

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6111 covers babies' garments and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted. The leggings lines shown here carry 12% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions recorded. The heading's lower glove rate does not apply to these leggings.

The tariff attaches cat and dog fur and seal product controls; some animal-hair and other-material lines also carry CITES controls. Cat and dog fur products cannot be imported or exported. For commercial imports of seal products, confirm eligibility under the applicable exemption and the required documentation with your customs broker; the indigenous-community exemption requires a seal catch attestation. For CITES-listed animal materials, confirm the species and applicable permits with your customs broker before shipment from China.

Confirm the commodity code using the actual fibre composition, knitted construction, garment dimensions and intended wearer. Do not select a code solely from an age label or the supplier's description of a blend. See knitted baby rompers for the wider heading. Confirm with HMRC or your customs broker whether the clothing qualifies for VAT zero-rating and which size and design criteria apply; see import duty and VAT.

Specify the waistband, nappy room and fabric

Specify fibre composition, fabric weight, knit structure and stretch direction. Decide whether the leggings are footless or footed, and agree waistband construction, elastic width, cuff shape and seam finish. Supply a graded measurement chart covering relaxed waist, stretched waist, rise, seat, thigh and leg length. Approve fit over the intended nappy rather than relying only on age bands.

For sale in Great Britain, the label must show fibre content, including fur and other animal parts. Confirm applicable general product safety requirements with Trading Standards. Avoid decorative drawstrings and detachable trims in the design brief. Agree shrinkage, colour transfer, pilling and elastic recovery acceptance criteria, and request restricted-substance testing for fabrics, prints and trims.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 cotton knitted baby leggings; FOB value and freight are illustrative, not a quotation. under 6111 20 90 00, invoiced at £2,000 free on board, with £700 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,700. Duty at 12% is £324. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,024, so it is £604.80. Import taxes total £928.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £324 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step. This assumes the goods are standard-rated for VAT. Clothing designed for babies and young children is zero-rated under HMRC's VAT Notice 714, in which case no import VAT is due, so check the rate for your product.

Inspection checklist

Fit: measure waist, rise, seat and leg length against the approved chart; compare nappy room and waistband pressure with the approved sample.

Stretch and washing: wash samples using the agreed care method; check waistband recovery, leg twisting, shrinkage, colour transfer and surface pilling.

Seams and trims: stretch crotch and seat seams; check skipped stitches, broken threads, exposed elastic and loose internal thread loops, especially in footed versions.

Labels and arrival: compare fibre wording, size labels and packing quantities with the order; check for dampness, shade differences and substituted fabric. Use the inspection guide to plan sampling.

What goes wrong

Leggings can match the leg length but lack enough rise or seat room for a nappy. Elastic that feels acceptable on an unwashed sample can roll, tighten or lose recovery after washing. Bulk fabric may stretch differently from the approved sample, while poorly balanced knitting can leave the legs twisted.

Keep sealed fabric and garment samples, approve washed samples and record measurement tolerances in the order. Compare production and arrival samples with these references. Check crotch seams under stretch and reject loose trims or internal loops rather than accepting them as cosmetic defects.

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.