Cross-stitch and needlework kits from China

12% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 6308 covers sets consisting of woven fabric and yarn, whether or not with accessories, for making up into rugs, tapestries, embroidered tablecloths or serviettes, or similar textile articles, put up in packings for retail sale. All 3 lines, of cotton, of synthetic fibres and other, carried 12% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.

Yarn sold on its own is classified by fibre (see our hand knitting yarn guide), and finished embroidered badges are covered in our embroidered patches guide; confirm the commodity code for the set as packed.

Toy and product safety rules

Under the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, toys are products designed or intended, whether or not exclusively, for use in play by children under 14 years old. A kit marketed to children, such as a first stitching set, is a toy and needs the toy safety assessment, marking and warnings; kits for adult crafters sold in Great Britain are covered by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.

Needles, scissors and small parts in a kit need secure packing and clear warnings.

Specifying kits

Specify the design and chart, fabric type and count, printed or counted pattern, thread brand or equivalent with colour codes, the quantity of each colour with a margin, needle size, hoop or frame, instructions in English, and retail packaging with a contents list.

Worked duty example

Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 3,000 cotton cross-stitch kits under 6308 00 00 15. At £9,000 free on board and £700 to ship and insure, the customs value is £9,700. Cross-stitch kits at 12% pay £1,164 of duty; VAT is then worked out on value plus duty, £10,864, giving £2,172.80. Of the £3,336.80 paid at import, only the £1,164 of duty stays a cost for a VAT-registered business. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.

Inspection checklist

Contents: count threads, colours and accessories against the contents list in sampled kits, and check thread colours against the chart key.

Fabric and print: check count, cut size, fraying and print registration on printed kits.

Packaging: check needles are secured, instructions and warnings are present, and barcodes scan.

What goes wrong

Kit orders fail on missing thread, colour mismatch and instructions. A colour runs short before the design is finished, thread shades differ from the chart, printed patterns are off-register, and translated instructions are unclear.

Stitch a sample kit to the end before approving and inspect contents before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources needlework and cross-stitch kits for UK craft brands and retailers, including first orders. See small orders.