Sourcing nylon tyre cord fabric from China

0% duty on nylon tyre cord fabric

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 12 November 2026, heading 5902 covers tyre cord fabric of high-tenacity yarn of nylon or other polyamides, polyesters or viscose rayon. This guide covers the nylon family, with rubber-impregnated fabric under 5902 10 10 00 and other fabric under 5902 10 90 00.

Both relevant lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls for these lines. The table contains only the relevant nylon lines.

Confirm the commodity code using the fibre, yarn description and evidence of rubber impregnation. An adhesive dip description alone should not replace that evidence. For the wider heading context, see the viscose rayon tyre cord fabric guide.

Specify nylon cord and rubber adhesion

Specify the nylon grade, yarn count, ply construction, twist, ends per unit width, weft, fabric width and roll length. State whether the fabric is greige or treated, describe the treatment, and agree breaking strength, elongation at a stated load and heat shrinkage with the test conditions.

Approve adhesion using your own rubber compound and agreed curing conditions. Ask for lot results and treatment records, then agree sealed wrapping, moisture protection, storage conditions and shelf life. Keep an approved sample for comparison with production.

Ask for a UK REACH statement covering the finished fabric and its treatment. When supplying an article containing a Candidate List substance above 0.1% by weight to a business user in Great Britain, you must provide sufficient safe-use information, including the substance name.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 8,000 square metres of rubber-impregnated nylon tyre cord fabric, illustrative only under 5902 10 10 00, invoiced at £14,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £15,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £15,200, so it is £3,040. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Lot performance: compare breaking strength, elongation, heat shrinkage and treatment pick-up with the agreed specification and batch certificate.

Rubber adhesion: test sampled production fabric with your compound and curing conditions before releasing it for manufacturing.

Fabric construction: check width, cord spacing, weft spacing and roll length; look for loose ends, knots, uneven treatment and contamination.

Packing and identity: check sealed wrapping, moisture damage, roll and lot labels, production dates and remaining agreed shelf life.

What goes wrong

A fabric can meet its strength specification yet bond poorly to your rubber. Treatment variation, unsuitable curing conditions and ageing can undermine adhesion. Heat and shrinkage variation can also change the behaviour of the reinforcement during processing.

Keep suspect lots separate when rolls arrive wet, contaminated or outside the agreed storage conditions. Compare samples and lot records before accepting a replacement or repeat order. Agree the checks in advance using the quality inspection guide.

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.