Sourcing plaited straw braids from China

Zero duty on straw braids

Heading 4601 covers plaits and similar products, including those assembled into strips, and certain sheet products, mats and screens. For straw braids supplied loose or assembled into strips, 4601 94 05 00 is the starting point. The other table rows distinguish related sheet forms; they are not interchangeable codes for loose braid.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, every line in the supplied heading carries 0% duty for goods from China. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control is recorded. This tariff snapshot does not replace checks on the actual material, intended use and packaging.

Confirm the commodity code using the straw species, composition, photographs and supplied form. See the wider mats and screens guide for assembled products.

Specify the straw, braid and joins

Name the straw species and declare any paper, synthetic fibre, sewing thread, adhesive or coating. Agree braid width, thickness, plait pattern, colour range, coil length and permitted joins. Keep an approved sample showing acceptable natural variation, exposed ends and splice appearance.

For hat-making or sewn trims, trial the braid on your own equipment. Check that it bends around the intended curve without splitting, feeds evenly and holds stitches without pulling apart. Ask the factory to describe drying, storage and any anti-mould treatment.

If supplied for consumer use in Great Britain, the braids must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Assess sharp ends, shedding and foreseeable handling rather than relying on the factory's description as craft material.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2,000 short coils of plaited straw braid for a craft wholesaler under 4601 94 05 00, invoiced at £8,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,200, so it is £1,840. 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

Dimensions: unwind sampled coils and check width, thickness, usable length and join frequency against the order.

Plait and flexibility: check loose strands, protruding ends and bulky splices; bend and sew samples using the intended process.

Moisture and cleanliness: check agreed moisture limits, musty smells, mould, insects and loose plant debris before loading and on arrival.

Packing: check coil protection, batch identification and carton dryness. Non-exempt wooden pallets and crates for Great Britain must be treated and marked to the applicable wood-packaging standard.

What goes wrong

A sample can hide inconsistent straw and frequent joins in production coils. Width variation makes sewn rows uneven, thick splices catch in guides, and brittle strands split when curved. Tightly wound coils can conceal mould or crushed braid inside.

Agree acceptance criteria before production and inspect unwound material from different cartons. Keep suspect damp or mouldy coils separate on arrival and record the affected batches. The quality inspection guide explains how to brief an inspection.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.