Sourcing knitted baby vests from China

UK duty on knitted baby vests

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6111 covers babies' garments and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted. The vest lines shown carry 12% duty for goods from China. The supplied records show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. See baby clothing for the wider heading.

The tariff attaches cat and dog fur import and export controls and seal product import controls. Cat and dog fur products are banned from import and export. Seal products for sale in Great Britain must have a seal catch certificate; confirm any applicable exemption conditions with the relevant authority or your customs broker. Wool and fine animal hair vest lines also attach CITES import and export controls. For listed materials from China, confirm the species and applicable permits with your customs broker before ordering.

Confirm the commodity code using the actual fibre composition, knitted construction and intended wearer. The vest rows are garment lines; glove lines do not apply. Ask your broker to resolve blended fabrics and unfamiliar animal materials before shipment.

Specify the vest neckline, fabric and seams

Define whether the vest is a sleeveless undershirt or a bodysuit with a crotch opening. Specify fibre composition, fabric weight, rib or jersey construction, chest width, body length, armholes and neck opening. Approve how the neckline stretches over the head and recovers afterwards. Include a measurement chart and agreed tolerances for each size.

Agree seam construction and binding softness against a physical sample, especially at the shoulders and underarms. For bodysuit styles, specify popper placement and fabric reinforcement. Avoid neck cords and detachable decorations. Agree checks for restricted substances in fabrics, prints and metal fastenings.

For sale in Great Britain, the label must show fibre content, including fur and other animal parts. Confirm with Trading Standards whether the actual garments qualify for any children's nightwear flammability exemption and which nightwear labelling requirements apply. Settle fibre and nightwear label artwork before production, alongside the agreed care instructions.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 cotton knitted baby vests; 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 and openings: measure chest, length, armholes and neck opening against the approved chart; stretch the neckline and check recovery.

Seams and fastenings: inspect skin-facing seams, binding edges and loose threads; pull-test poppers and decorations before and after washing.

Washing and colour: wash production samples using the agreed care method; check shrinkage, twisting, colour transfer and differences between dye lots.

Labels and packing: compare fibre content and nightwear labels with approved artwork; check size labels and carton contents. Plan sampling with the inspection guide.

What goes wrong

An approved vest can fit before washing but become too short or too tight at the neck afterwards. Rib binding can lose recovery, side seams can twist and rough seam allowances can rub against skin. Poppers fitted into thin jersey can tear out when the crotch opening is pulled.

Keep approved washed and unwashed samples. Check production garments before shipment and repeat the agreed wash and measurement checks on arrival. Resolve fabric substitutions, missing labels and loose fastenings before releasing stock for sale.

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.