Sourcing men's woven linen shirts from China

UK duty on woven linen shirts

Heading 6205 covers men's or boys' shirts. For this guide, the flax or ramie lines cover woven linen shirts, distinguishing hand-printed batik from other shirts. The table also includes cotton and man-made-fibre alternatives for blends whose classification has been confirmed; these are not automatic alternatives for every linen blend.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, all listed lines carried 12% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension. The table's lines have no attached import controls. Elsewhere within this heading, the wool or fine animal hair and other textile materials lines have CITES import and export controls attached; confirm the applicable requirement with your customs broker if your product falls there.

Confirm the commodity code using the actual fabric composition and garment construction before ordering. For wider heading coverage, see the men's woven chambray shirts guide.

Specify linen fabric and washed fit

Specify the fibre composition, weave, fabric weight, colour, opacity and finish. Agree how much yarn thickening is acceptable against a retained fabric sample, so natural slubs are distinguishable from weaving faults. Describe the collar shape, interlining, sleeve style, pocket position, buttons and seam construction.

Approve a size chart with measurement tolerances and a washed garment sample. The label must show fibre composition; confirm acceptable fibre names with the relevant authority and add size and care information to the agreed artwork. Consumer shirts sold in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Agree checks for loose buttons, sharp trims and finishing residues, with testing support where needed.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 1,000 men's woven linen shirts, illustrative order under 6205 90 10 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 composition, weight, shade, opacity and slub appearance. Check for holes, missing yarns and uneven finishing.

Washed fit: measure collar, chest, shoulder, sleeve and body length across the size range before and after the agreed care wash. Check shrinkage, twisting and colour transfer.

Construction: inspect collar bubbling, placket alignment, seam puckering, pocket position, button attachment and buttonhole finish. Check striped styles for matching at visible joins.

Arrival and labels: check cartons for dampness, mould and staining; reconcile sizes and colours with the packing list. Compare fibre labels and care artwork with the approved version. Use the inspection guide to define the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A linen sample can feel softer or look more opaque than the bulk fabric because the mill changes the yarn or finish. Uncontrolled shrinkage leaves sleeves and bodies short, while unsuitable interlining makes collars bubble. Agree the bulk fabric and wash result before cutting.

Linen's uneven yarn can hide genuine weaving faults unless the approved sample defines acceptable slubs. Shade differences become visible when panels come from different fabric batches. Ask the factory to keep batch records and inspect finished shirts together under consistent lighting.

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.