Sourcing men's woven flannel shirts from China

Duty by fibre composition

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 6205 covers men's or boys' woven shirts. This guide focuses on men's flannel shirts: specify the woven construction and actual fibre composition when choosing a line. See the wider men's woven shirts guide for other shirt fabrics.

All listed lines carry 12% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duties and no suspensions. It attaches CITES import and export controls to 6205 90 80 10 and 6205 90 80 90. For material from species listed in CITES Annex A, B or C, obtain the required permit and have your customs broker confirm the import requirements for China.

Confirm the commodity code using the fabric construction and fibre breakdown, particularly for blends. A flannel description alone does not identify the tariff line.

Specify the brushed fabric and shirt construction

Specify fibre composition, fabric weight, weave, check repeat, colours and whether brushing is on the face, reverse or both surfaces. Keep an approved fabric swatch showing the required handle and nap. Agree shrinkage, pilling and colour-transfer acceptance criteria, together with the wash method used to assess them.

Agree the size chart and measurement tolerances, collar interlining, cuff shape, pocket placement, button attachment and check matching at the placket, pockets and yoke. Consumer shirts sold in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Agree care instructions that match the tested garment.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 1,000 men's cotton woven flannel shirts, illustrative only 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 bulk shirts with the approved swatch for brushing, nap direction, weight, check colours and shade variation between bundles. Assess pilling and loose-fibre shedding after the agreed wash and wear tests.

Fit and washing: measure chest, body length, sleeves, collar and cuffs across the size range before and after washing. Check twisting, seam puckering and collar bubbling.

Construction: check pocket and placket alignment, yoke matching, seam security, buttonholes and button attachment. Compare the brushing around seams with the approved sample.

Labels and arrival: check fibre labels against the fabric specification, care instructions against the wash tests, and carton contents against the packing list. Inspect for dampness, mould and colour transfer. Use the quality inspection guide to agree the inspection scope.

What goes wrong

A soft sample can hide loose brushing that pills or sheds in use. Bulk fabric may have a different handle, uneven nap or shade differences. Washing can shorten sleeves, twist the body and distort the checks; poorly matched pockets and plackets remain visible even when the fabric itself is acceptable.

Approve washed fabric and finished-shirt samples before bulk production. Retain them for comparison, and assess bulk garments against the agreed criteria. Separate defects caused by fabric finishing from sewing defects so the factory corrects the relevant process.

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.