Sourcing men's knitted formal shirts from China

UK duty on knitted formal shirts

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 6105 covers men's or boys' knitted or crocheted shirts. This guide focuses on men's knitted formal shirts with a shirt collar, button front and cuffs. All supplied fibre lines carry 12% duty for goods from China, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing duties and no suspensions.

The tariff attaches CITES import and export controls to the wool or fine animal hair and other textile material lines. For animal-derived materials from China, identify the species and ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable CITES permits or documents before ordering. A control attached to a commodity line does not establish which documents your particular shirt needs.

Confirm the commodity code using the actual fabric construction and fibre composition. Woven shirts fall under heading 6205, even if sold as stretch formal shirts. For the wider knitted shirt family, see men's polo shirts and knit shirts.

Specify the collar, cuffs and knitted fabric

State fibre composition, knit structure, fabric weight, stretch and recovery, colour and surface finish. Approve opacity under normal indoor lighting, especially for pale shirts worn without a jacket. Specify collar stand height, collar point shape, interlining, cuff construction, button type and placket reinforcement. Agree whether the shirt is intended to be tucked in and approve the hem shape accordingly.

Use a graded measurement chart covering neck, chest, shoulder, sleeve, cuff and body length, with agreed tolerances. Approve the collar both open and fastened with a tie. Wash the sample using the proposed care instructions before approving fit. For sale in Great Britain, the label must show fibre content, including any fur or other animal parts.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 men's cotton knitted formal shirts; FOB value and freight are illustrative, not a quotation. under 6105 10 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

Fabric: compare composition evidence, weight, opacity and handle with the approved sample; check pilling, snagging and shade variation across cartons.

Fit and wash: measure each size against the chart before and after the agreed wash test; check sleeve shortening, body twisting and recovery after stretching.

Collar and front: inspect collar symmetry, interlining bubbles, placket waviness, buttonhole finish and button attachment; fasten the shirt to check gaping and cuff fit.

Labels and safety: compare fibre labels and care wording with the approved artwork. Consumer shirts supplied in Great Britain must be safe; inspect for sharp trims and retained sewing needles. Plan production and arrival checks with the inspection guide.

What goes wrong

Knitted fabric can stretch while the placket is sewn, leaving a wavy button front. Collar interlining can bubble after washing, and a collar that looks firm in the sample can collapse when worn with a tie. Shrinkage can shorten sleeves or make the neck tight; pale fabric can prove too transparent under office lighting.

Keep approved washed and unwashed samples, and record fabric, interlining and measurement tolerances in the order. Compare production shirts with both samples before shipment and on arrival. Treat fabric substitutions and changes to collar reinforcement as changes needing approval, rather than accepting them from photographs alone.

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.