Sourcing men's knitted blazers from China

Duty on men's knitted blazers

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 13 October 2026, heading 6103 covers men's or boys' knitted or crocheted tailoring, including jackets and blazers. The blazer lines listed here all carry 12% duty for goods from China. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty, or duty suspension, is recorded for these lines.

The tariff attaches cat and dog fur and seal-product import controls, with CITES import controls on some animal-fibre and other-material lines. Cat and dog fur products are banned from import. For seal materials or potentially protected animal materials in a China shipment, confirm the applicable documents and restrictions with your customs broker before ordering.

Confirm the commodity code from the garment's construction and fibre composition. A tailored appearance does not establish whether the fabric is knitted or woven. See the wider knitted suits and trousers guide for the rest of the heading.

Specify fabric recovery and blazer structure

Specify the fibre blend, fabric weight, stretch and recovery, pilling resistance, shrinkage and colour fastness. Define chest, shoulder, sleeve and back measurements, with agreed tolerances. Approve the lapel shape, front fastening, pocket placement and lining against a fitted sample and a size set.

Agree whether the fronts and collar use fused interlining, and test a finished sample through the proposed care process. Fibre composition must be labelled; confirm the appropriate fibre names with Trading Standards. Check the bulk fabric against the label artwork, and identify any animal-derived trims before approving materials.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 3,000 men's knitted cotton blazers, illustrative wholesale order under 6103 32 00 00, invoiced at £21,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £22,800. Duty at 12% is £2,736. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £25,536, so it is £5,107.20. Import taxes total £7,843.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,736 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fabric: compare bulk fabric with the approved sample; check recovery, pilling, shrinkage and colour transfer against agreed limits.

Fit: measure chest, shoulders, sleeves and back length across sizes; check sleeve hang, lapel roll and front balance when fastened.

Construction: check seam puckering, lining tension, button security and pocket symmetry; inspect fused fronts and collars after the care test.

Labels and packing: compare fibre labels with approved artwork and fabric results; reconcile sizes, colours and carton contents with the packing list. Use the inspection guide to prepare the brief.

What goes wrong

Poor recovery leaves elbows baggy and fronts stretched. Stitch tension that does not suit the knit causes puckered seams, while a tight lining restricts movement. Fused fronts can bubble after care, and dark fabric can transfer colour to a light shirt.

Set acceptance limits before cutting and test bulk fabric rather than relying on the development sample. Keep an approved finished blazer for comparison at arrival, then check panel shading, pressing and measurements before releasing stock for sale.

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. For knitted outerwear, see our men's knitted car coat sourcing guide.