Sourcing knitted scarves and accessories from China
Knitted or crocheted clothing accessories from China, including scarves, snoods, headbands and ear warmers, pay 12% UK duty, or 8% where they are elasticated or rubberised, with no anti-dumping duty. Fibre labelling applies, and children's items must avoid cords and small parts that can detach. Cambridge China Bridge sources knitted accessories.
Knitted scarves, snoods, headbands, ear warmers, knitted ties and other knitted clothing accessories pay 8% or 12% UK duty from China. A worked example.
12%, or 8% if elasticated
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, knitted or crocheted shawls, scarves, mufflers, mantillas and veils, other made-up knitted clothing accessories and knitted parts of garments or accessories of heading 6117 carried 12% duty on goods from China, and knitted accessories that are elasticated or rubberised 8%, with no anti-dumping measure.
Woven scarves are in heading 6214, covered in the scarves guide, knitted gloves in 6116 and knitted hats in 6505; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knitted shawls, scarves and snoods | 6117 10 00 00 | 12% | None |
| Other accessories, elasticated or rubberised | 6117 80 10 00 | 8% | None |
| Other knitted accessories, such as headbands | 6117 80 80 00 | 12% | None |
| Knitted parts of garments or accessories | 6117 90 00 00 | 12% | None |
Labels and children's safety
The Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Names) Regulations 2012 require the fibre composition to be shown with permitted fibre names, so acrylic knitted to feel like wool must say acrylic, and wool or cashmere claims need a fibre test on bulk. Children's scarves and snoods sold to consumers are covered by general product safety law; avoid long cords, pompoms and trims that can detach, and use BS EN 14682 as the reference for cords and drawstrings on children's clothing.
Worked duty example
Take a hypothetical order of 5,000 knitted acrylic scarves, entered under 6117 10 00 00: £11,000 free on board plus £900 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £11,900. The 12% duty on knitted scarves comes to £1,428, and import VAT is 20% of £13,328, which is £2,665.60. If you are VAT-registered you normally reclaim the £2,665.60, leaving £1,428 as the real cost at the border. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.
What goes wrong
Knitted accessories fail on pilling, sizing and fibre claims. Cheap acrylic pills after a few wears, loosely knitted scarves grow in length and lose shape after washing, and pompoms and tassels pull off. Blends sold as wool-rich or cashmere often contain less of the expensive fibre than the label says, and dark colours rub onto light coats.
Test pilling, colour fastness to rubbing and dimensional stability after washing on bulk samples, have fibre content tested against the label, pull-test pompoms and trims, measure length and width on each colour, and check that labels, care symbols and hangtags match the order at inspection.
Cambridge China Bridge sources knitted scarves, snoods, headbands and accessories, with yarn, fibre testing and labels agreed before the order. See how we source knitwear and accessories.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on knitted scarves from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, knitted scarves and shawls of heading 6117 carried 12% duty from China, and elasticated knitted accessories 8%.
Where do woven scarves go?
Woven scarves are in heading 6214, not 6117.
Do cashmere scarves need a fibre test?
Yes. Blends are often mislabelled, so test the bulk against the label.
Which standard covers cords on children's clothing?
BS EN 14682 is the reference for cords and drawstrings on children's clothing.