Sourcing knitted swim briefs from China

UK duty on knitted swim briefs

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 6112 covers knitted or crocheted tracksuits, ski suits and swimwear. This guide focuses on men's and boys' knitted swim briefs. See the swim-jammers guide for wider heading context.

The selected swimwear lines carry 8% duty where rubber thread accounts for at least 5% by weight, and 12% on the other lines. Synthetic fibres and other textile materials have separate codes. The supplied records show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls.

Confirm the commodity code using the knitted construction, intended wearer, fibre composition and rubber-thread content. Do not treat an elastane percentage as proof of rubber-thread content. Ask the factory to identify the stretch yarn and provide composition evidence for your customs broker.

Specify the brief cut, lining and stretch

Specify polyester or polyamide blends, elastane content, knit structure and fabric weight. Define waist height, side depth, front coverage, crotch width and leg openings in a graded measurement chart. State whether the front is lined or the brief is fully lined, and approve lining attachment, waistband construction and any drawcord.

For sale in Great Britain, the label must show fibre content, including animal parts where present. Approve the composition wording and agree care instructions. Demonstrate product safety compliance before selling. As purchasing checks, approve wet opacity while stretched, seam comfort, colour transfer, chlorine exposure and elastic recovery against a retained sample.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2,000 men's synthetic-fibre knitted swim briefs; FOB value and freight are illustrative. under 6112 31 90 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 waist, side depth, crotch width and leg openings against the size chart; check coverage and comfort on fit samples across sizes.

Fabric and lining: wet and stretch samples to check opacity; compare fabric weight, lining coverage, shade and print position with the approved sample.

Elastic and seams: stretch the waistband and leg openings, then check recovery; inspect skipped stitches, broken seams, rough joins and drawcord attachment.

Arrival and labels: check cartons for damp, odour and shade variation; compare fibre labels, care wording and size markings with approved artwork. Use the inspection guide to record results.

What goes wrong

A dry sample can hide transparency that appears when the fabric is wet and stretched. Tight leg elastic can dig in, while weak recovery leaves openings loose. Rough crotch seams can rub, and a substituted lining can change both coverage and fit. Pool exposure may cause fading or loss of stretch.

Retain approved fabric and finished briefs, including washed samples. Record the agreed wet checks and exposure method in the order. Compare production samples before shipment and repeat checks on arrival. Hold affected stock while the factory resolves lining substitutions, seam failures or inconsistent sizing.

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.