Sourcing Men's Woven Denim Shirts from China

Duty and fibre classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 6205 covers men's or boys' shirts. This guide concerns men's woven denim shirts. Cotton shirts other than hand-printed batik appear under 6205 20 00 90. The table also shows alternative fibre classifications for denim shirts where the actual composition supports them; these are not separate denim-specific tariff lines.

All supplied lines carry 12% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension listed. No controls are listed for the cotton, man-made-fibre or flax/ramie lines. CITES import and export controls are attached to 6205 90 80 10 and 6205 90 80 90. CITES-listed specimens require an import permit for Great Britain; for an order from China involving unusual animal-derived materials, ask your customs broker to confirm applicable restrictions and documents.

Confirm the commodity code from the finished garment, woven construction and fibre composition, rather than the supplier's description of denim. See the woven chambray shirts guide for the wider shirt-heading context.

Specify denim, wash shade and shirt fit

Specify fibre composition, fabric weight, twill appearance, stretch and the finished wash shade. Approve a washed garment sample showing fading at seams, pockets and collar edges. State whether the shirt has buttons or press studs, the pocket shape, contrast stitching, collar interlining and sleeve adjustment. Set measurements and tolerances for the finished garment after its production wash.

The fibre label must show the composition; confirm the permitted names with the relevant authority and identify polyester or elastane where present. Add agreed care instructions and size information. Consumer shirts sold in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Ask for bulk-fabric and trim test evidence, and agree a restricted-substance testing brief: REACH restrictions can limit or ban substances or set conditions on their marketing or use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 men's cotton woven denim shirts under 6205 20 00 90, invoiced at £5,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,800. Duty at 12% is £696. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,496, so it is £1,299.20. Import taxes total £1,995.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £696 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Shade and rubbing: compare bulk shirts with the approved washed sample under consistent lighting. Check wet and dry colour transfer, especially at cuffs, collars and dark seams.

Fit and washing: measure chest, shoulders, body and sleeves across the size range before and after the agreed care wash. Check twisting, seam puckering and collar bubbling.

Fastenings and seams: check button attachment or press-stud retention, opening and closing, pocket reinforcement, placket alignment and exposed sharp edges.

Labels and packing: match fibre labels to the verified composition, check size and care artwork, and inspect cartons for moisture, mould and dye transfer onto adjacent garments.

What goes wrong

A wash sample can look right while bulk shirts vary between laundry batches. Dark denim may transfer colour onto pale clothing; uneven washing can leave pockets and seams much lighter than the approved sample. Shrinkage and twisting change sleeve length and placket alignment, while heavy fabric can pull weak press studs through the cloth.

Keep an approved finished sample and a written shade acceptance range. Inspect garments from different wash batches and sizes, and repeat washing and colour-transfer checks on bulk production. Resolve failures before dispatch rather than accepting photographs as proof of consistent shade.

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.