Sourcing knitted ski gloves from China

Duty depends on coating and fibre

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6116 covers knitted or crocheted gloves, mittens and mitts. The supplied lines carry 8% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty recorded. Eligible gloves impregnated or covered with plastics or rubber have a conditional 0% suspension. Uncoated wool and synthetic-fibre gloves remain at 8%.

The tariff attaches cat and dog fur and seal-product controls, plus CITES controls to wool, fine animal hair and other textile-material lines. Cat and dog fur products are banned from import. For CITES-listed animal materials from China, confirm the applicable permit route before shipping. The tariff attaches a seal-product control; ask your customs broker to confirm the requirement for any seal-derived material.

Confirm the commodity code from the finished glove's construction, coating and fibre. A knitted liner alone should not be your basis for choosing this heading. See the wider knitted glove guide for the coated lines and suspension.

Specify the knit, insulation and palm

State whether the glove is a ski liner or an outer glove. Specify the fibre composition, knit density, lining, insulation, palm reinforcement, grip coating, thumb shape, cuff length and wrist adjustment. Agree a size chart and an approved sample for each construction. Try samples while holding a ski pole and wearing the intended jacket cuff.

Agree its wording before production. Ask for test evidence for the exact construction before accepting waterproof or cold-protection claims, and settle any applicable protective-equipment assessment through testing and certification. Keep heated gloves outside this specification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2,000 pairs of uncoated synthetic-fibre knitted ski gloves under 6116 93 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £19,500. Duty at 8% is £1,560. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £21,060, so it is £4,212. Import taxes total £5,772; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,560 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fit and pairing: measure palm width, finger length and cuff opening against the approved chart; check matching left and right gloves and pole grip.

Lining and seams: check thumb seams, finger crotches and liner attachment; pull the glove off to see whether the lining follows the hand or twists.

Grip and moisture: flex and rub the palm coating, check reinforcement stitching and compare moisture-test results with the agreed claim.

Labels and packing: check fibre wording, size labels, colour matching and pair counts against the order. Use the inspection guide to write the checks into your brief.

What goes wrong

A warm sample can become a thinner production glove when the yarn or insulation changes. Liners pull loose, thumb seams restrict movement, cuffs stretch and palm grip peels. Compare production gloves with the approved sample, including a glove opened to examine its internal layers.

Waterproof claims can fail at seams even when the palm material resists water. Agree how the finished glove will be tested and what result you will accept. Check the construction again after washing or wetting, using the agreed care instructions.

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.