Sourcing men's woven chambray shirts from China

A flat 12% duty on chambray shirts

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 6205 covers men's or boys' woven shirts. Chambray is a fabric construction rather than a separate tariff line. The table covers cotton and alternative fibre categories; choose the line that matches the actual shirt. For wider heading context, see the men's woven flannel shirts guide.

Every supplied line carries 12% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing measure or suspension. No controls are listed for the cotton, man-made fibre or flax and ramie lines. The wool or fine animal hair and other textile lines carry CITES import and export controls. If listed species material is involved, confirm permit requirements with your customs broker before ordering; the official guidance requires permits for species listed in the specified annexes.

Confirm the commodity code using the fabric construction and full fibre composition, rather than the supplier's description of chambray. A cotton-rich blend needs its own classification check. Keep the fabric specification, composition evidence and approved sample together so the declaration and label describe the same goods.

Specify the chambray weave and washed fit

Specify a plain weave with the approved coloured warp and contrasting weft, fibre composition, fabric weight, yarn appearance and finish. Compare the fabric face and reverse with the approved swatch so a denim-like twill is not substituted. Agree shade variation, slubs, softness and whether the shirt is washed before packing.

Set the collar shape, interlining, pocket position, placket width, cuff construction, button finish and size chart with measurement tolerances. Approve a washed garment as well as the original fit sample. Fibre composition must be shown on the label; ask Trading Standards to confirm the fibre names to use. Shirts supplied on the Great Britain market must be safe. Treat wash instructions and size information as specification items.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 1,000 men's cotton chambray shirts; illustrative quantity, FOB value and freight under 6205 20 00 90, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,800. Duty at 12% is £816. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,616, so it is £1,523.20. Import taxes total £2,339.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £816 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fabric: compare weave, fibre evidence, shade and slub appearance with the approved sample; check panels from different bundles for colour variation.

Wash performance: wash finished shirts using the proposed care instructions; remeasure chest, sleeve and body length, and check twisting, colour transfer and collar bubbling.

Construction: check pocket and placket alignment, seam puckering, loose threads, button attachment and buttonhole finish; feel inside seams for rough edges.

Labels and packing: check fibre wording against the agreed composition, match size labels to measurements, and reconcile carton contents with the size breakdown. Check arrivals for dampness and mould.

What goes wrong

Chambray orders can arrive with the wrong weave, uneven shades or more prominent slubs than the sample. Garment washing can leave pocket seams puckered and panels mismatched. Shrinkage shortens sleeves and bodies, while unsuitable interlining causes collars to bubble after washing.

Keep an approved fabric swatch and washed shirt as comparison samples. Agree whether natural yarn variation is acceptable, inspect across cutting bundles, and measure washed garments before approving bulk. Use testing and certification support to agree suitable fabric and finished-shirt checks.

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.