Sourcing needle-felt entrance mats from China
Needle-felt entrance mats from China carry a flat 6% UK duty across heading 5704, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty. Consumer mats must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Specify the backing, edge finish and cleaning method. Cambridge China Bridge sources needle-felt entrance mats.
Flat 6% duty on felt entrance mats
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 November 2026, heading 5704 covers felt carpets and other textile floor coverings, not tufted or flocked, whether or not made up. The listed Chinese-origin lines all carry 6% duty, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.
The tariff attaches a DCMS Export Licence note to every listed line. Official guidance describes cultural-goods export licensing for certain older objects. Ask your customs broker to confirm the note's relevance to the shipment; do not treat an export note as an established import-licence requirement for new entrance mats.
Confirm the commodity code using the felt construction, whether the goods are tiles, their surface area and any genuine hand-made status. A small loose mat is not automatically a tile. See the wider needle-felt carpet and carpet tiles guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needle-felt entrance mats, other than tiles, not hand-made | 5704 90 00 90 | 6% | None |
| Felt entrance matting tiles, area not exceeding 0.3 m² | 5704 10 00 00 | 6% | None |
| Felt entrance matting tiles, over 0.3 m² up to 1 m², not hand-made | 5704 20 00 90 | 6% | None |
| Hand-made felt entrance mats, other than tiles | 5704 90 00 10 | 6% | None |
Specify the face, backing and doorway fit
State whether the mat is loose-laid, fitted into a recess or supplied as entrance matting tiles. Specify face fibre, face mass, total thickness, backing material, edge profile, colour and finished dimensions. Give the supplier the floor surface, door clearance, expected wet footwear and intended cleaning method. Approve a finished sample with the production backing and edging.
For consumer mats sold in Great Britain, product safety rules require safety in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Textile labels must show fibre content. For textile floor coverings supplied for installation in buildings, check the declaration of performance, CE or UKCA marking and declared reaction to fire against the intended application.
Agree how to assess water uptake, drying, dirt removal and backing grip on the intended floor. Check whether cleaning means vacuuming, rinsing or machine washing, then test the proposed method on the finished sample. A face fabric sample alone cannot show whether the completed mat curls or separates.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 3,000 square metres of needle-felt entrance matting tiles under 5704 10 00 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £10,500. Duty at 6% is £630. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £11,130, so it is £2,226. Import taxes total £2,856; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £630 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Construction: compare the needle-felt face, fibre description, mass, thickness and backing with the approved sample. Check for thin patches, loose fibres, exposed adhesive and backing separation.
Fit and edges: measure finished dimensions and squareness. Lay unpacked mats flat, inspect corners and edging, and check door clearance on a representative installation.
Wet use and cleaning: check movement on the specified floor with wet footwear, colour transfer, drying and edge curl after the agreed cleaning cycle. For tiles, check joint fit and dimensional stability.
Documents and packing: match labels and any applicable building-flooring declaration and fire report to the supplied construction and backing. Check batch identification and protection from damp. Use the quality inspection guide to brief the inspector.
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What goes wrong
A heavy backing can conceal a thin felt face, so total weight alone is a poor acceptance check. Corners can curl after tight packing, edging can detach, and backing that grips one floor may move on another. Cleaning can cause shrinkage, colour transfer or separation between the felt and backing.
A supplier's fire report may cover a different backing, while a washing claim may concern the face material rather than the finished mat. Match evidence to the ordered construction and keep an approved finished sample for comparison before dispatch and on arrival.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on needle-felt entrance mats from China?
The listed heading 5704 lines carry 6% duty from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.
Are all felt doormats classified as carpet tiles?
No. Confirm whether the product is a tile or another felt floor covering. The tariff separates tiles by surface area and distinguishes hand-made goods on some lines.
Do needle-felt entrance mats need a fire report?
For mats supplied as installed building floor coverings, check the declaration of performance and declared fire class for the exact construction and backing. Establish the intended use before ordering.
How do I check an anti-slip backing claim?
Agree a test on the intended floor in the expected wet and dry conditions. Check the finished mat, including edging, after cleaning; a backing sample alone does not establish performance.