Sourcing knitted cycling bib shorts from China

UK duty on knitted cycling bib shorts

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6114 covers other knitted or crocheted garments. Bib shorts classified here carry 12% duty from China in every listed fibre category. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension is recorded. See the wider heading guide for other garments.

The tariff attaches cat and dog fur and seal-product import controls to these lines, plus CITES controls to the wool and other-material lines. Cat and dog fur products are banned. Seal products for trade must have a seal catch certificate; confirm exemption eligibility with your broker. For materials from species in CITES Annex A, B or C, check permit requirements before ordering from China. Ask the factory to identify any animal-derived components.

Confirm the commodity code from the finished garment, its construction and fibre composition. Send your broker the sample photographs and material breakdown rather than accepting the supplier's code without checking. The table gives fibre-based alternatives within this heading, rather than confirming classification for every design.

Specify the pad, straps and riding fit

Specify the knitted fabric composition, weight, stretch direction and recovery, panel layout, seam construction and leg grippers. Define the seat pad's shape, thickness, foam construction, covering fabric and position against the pattern. Approve the exact pad sample and record it in the order so the factory cannot substitute a different insert without agreement.

Approve the graded size set while the wearer bends into a cycling position. Check shoulder strap tension, torso length, leg opening and whether the pad stays beneath the sit bones. Include a wear trial and washing check before approving bulk production.

Fibre composition must be labelled; confirm the permitted fibre names with Trading Standards. Where components have different fibre contents, the content of each must be shown. Agree label wording for the main fabric and bib mesh. In Great Britain, consumer products must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use; assess skin-contact materials and gripper edges alongside fit.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 2,000 knitted cycling bib shorts, illustrative order under 6114 30 00 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £17,200. Duty at 12% is £2,064. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £19,264, so it is £3,852.80. Import taxes total £5,916.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,064 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Pad: compare the insert with the approved sample, check alignment and attachment, and feel for folded foam, hard edges or exposed stitching.

Fit: measure torso length, straps, inside leg and leg openings against the graded chart; check fit in a riding position and compare paired straps.

Fabric and seams: stretch the crotch and strap joins, check opacity under tension, and wash samples for shrinkage, colour transfer and loss of recovery.

Labels and packing: compare fibre labels with the material evidence, check size markings and carton contents, and look for dampness or contamination on arrival. Use the inspection guide to brief the inspection.

What goes wrong

Bib shorts can fit when standing but pull on the shoulders when riding. A misplaced pad bunches or rubs, grippers roll up, and seams split when the thread stretches less than the fabric. Thin panels can become transparent under tension.

Bulk failures often follow an unapproved pad substitution or fabric with poorer recovery than the sample. Keep approved fabric and pad samples, inspect their identity against production, and repeat the riding-fit and washing checks when materials change.

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.