Sourcing knitted rowing unisuits from China

UK duty on knitted rowing unisuits

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6114 covers other knitted or crocheted garments. For rowing unisuits classified here, all supplied fibre categories carry 12% duty from China. The supplied records show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. The man-made fibre line is relevant to polyester or polyamide stretch constructions; the remaining rows cover alternative materials.

The tariff attaches cat and dog fur and seal product controls to all supplied lines, and CITES import and export controls to the other textile material lines. Imports and exports of cat and dog fur products are banned. Under the exemption for traditional hunts by Inuit or other indigenous communities, seal products must have a seal catch attestation; ask your customs broker to confirm commercial eligibility before ordering. For CITES-listed materials from China, confirm species and permit requirements with your customs broker before ordering.

Confirm the commodity code against the finished garment, knitted construction and fibre composition. Give your broker the material breakdown and sample photographs rather than relying on the factory's description. For the wider heading, see knitted wrestling singlets.

Specify fit through the rowing stroke

Specify fibre composition, fabric weight, stretch direction and recovery, panel layout, torso length, inside leg and leg opening. Approve a graded size set with the wearer seated, knees drawn up and arms reaching forward, then leaning back through the finish. Check shoulder tension, neckline coverage and whether the legs ride up. State whether the seat and crotch use a lining or reinforcement.

Approve seam position and a stitch construction that stretches with the fabric without leaving bulky ridges against the rowing seat. Check opacity when the fabric is stretched and damp. Agree club colours, artwork placement and appearance under stretch against a finished sample. For sale in Great Britain, fibre content must be labelled and consumer products must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 knitted rowing unisuits of man-made fibres; FOB value and freight are illustrative, not a quotation. under 6114 30 00 00, invoiced at £7,000 free on board, with £700 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £7,700. Duty at 12% is £924. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £8,624, so it is £1,724.80. Import taxes total £2,648.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £924 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fit: measure torso length, chest, hip and inside leg against the approved size chart; repeat the seated rowing movement on samples across the size range.

Fabric: compare bulk fibre analysis with the label; check stretch recovery, wash shrinkage, damp opacity and colour transfer onto a pale rubbing cloth.

Seams: stretch the crotch, seat and side seams; look for broken stitches, skipped stitches, puckering and abrasive seam allowances.

Artwork and packing: compare club colours and logo placement with the approved sample, stretch printed areas, and reconcile garment sizes and labels with carton contents during inspection.

What goes wrong

A unisuit can fit while standing but pull hard across the shoulders at the catch. A short torso or tight armhole can restrict reach, while loose leg openings ride up. Approve the rowing movement in the actual sample rather than accepting a standing photograph as fit approval.

Seams that cannot extend with the fabric split at the seat or crotch. Poor recovery leaves bagging after wear, pale panels become transparent under stretch, and printed club artwork can crack or distort. Keep a washed approval sample and compare bulk garments with it before dispatch.

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.