Sourcing plaited paper sun hats from China

Duty on plaited paper sun hats

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 6504 covers hats plaited or assembled from strips of any material, whether lined or trimmed. Plaited paper sun hats fall within this description. The listed commodity code, 6504 00 00 00, carries 0% duty for goods from China, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension. The table shows styles sharing this single tariff line.

The tariff attaches CITES, cat and dog fur, and seal-product import controls. Imports of cat and dog fur and products containing it are banned. Seal products may be imported and sold only in limited cases under strict conditions. Listed-species trims can require CITES permits. For a China order with animal or plant decorations, confirm the species, documents and applicable controls with your customs broker before ordering.

Confirm the commodity code using the finished hat's construction and complete material list, rather than the supplier's description of it as straw. For the wider plaited-headwear family, see the raffia hats guide.

Specify the paper plait and finished shape

Specify whether the shell is plaited paper or sewn paper braid, the paper-strip width, plait density, colour, coating and any reinforcing yarn. Agree head circumference, crown height, brim width and brim stiffness against a physical sample. Name the sweatband, lining, ribbon and adjustment components separately.

Agree how the hat should perform after damp handling and recover after unpacking. Trial the proposed nesting and crown supports with finished samples. UK sellers must not sell products they know or should know are unsafe, so include exposed wire ends, rough braid edges and insecure decorations in your sample review.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2,500 plaited paper sun hats; illustrative FOB value and freight under 6504 00 00 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,900. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,900, so it is £1,980. 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

Paper and finish: compare plait density, strip width and colour with the approved sample; check splits, fraying, glue marks and rough edges.

Shape and fit: measure the head opening, crown and brim; check symmetry, sweatband attachment and adjustment across the ordered sizes.

Damp handling: use the agreed sample procedure to check colour transfer, softening, delamination and permanent brim distortion.

Packing and arrival: check crown supports, nesting pressure, carton contents, damp patches and mould odour. Record defects through the agreed inspection process.

What goes wrong

Paper hats can arrive with flattened crowns, creased brims or broken braid where nesting pressure is excessive. Dampness can soften the paper, loosen bonded layers and leave odour or staining. A stiff showroom sample may conceal weaker production braid.

Keep an approved sample showing both the shell and inner band. Agree acceptance criteria for shape recovery and damp handling before production, then compare unpacked production hats with it. Hold affected stock for assessment rather than reshaping it immediately and losing evidence of the arrival condition.

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.