Sourcing polyamide staple fibre from China

Polyamide staple fibre duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 6 November 2026, aramid staple fibre under 5503 11 00 00 and other nylon or polyamide staple fibre under 5503 19 00 00 carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied records list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for these lines.

Heading 5503 covers synthetic staple fibres not carded, combed or otherwise processed for spinning. The nylon colour variants in the table share a commodity code. Confirm polymer identity and processing stage using the commodity code guide. See the polyester and wider synthetic staple fibre guide for the wider heading.

Specify polymer, cut length and finish

State whether the fibre is nylon, another non-aramid polyamide or aramid. Agree linear density, cut length and tolerance, crimp, tensile strength, elongation, colour, moisture and packing. Identify the intended spinning, blending or nonwoven process and approve a sample through your own equipment before ordering.

Name the spin finish and agree its application level and compatibility with your process. UK REACH restrictions can limit, ban or condition the manufacture, sale or use of substances. Ask for the finish composition and arrange a review of applicable restrictions through testing and certification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative batch of baled nylon staple fibre for a small-business production trial under 5503 19 00 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £17,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £17,200, so it is £3,440. 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

Identity: compare polymer test results and lot documents with the approved material, especially where nylon and aramid grades are offered by the same supplier.

Dimensions: sample across bales and check linear density, cut-length distribution, crimp and oversized or fused fibres.

Processing: compare strength, elongation and finish with the agreed specification; run a carding or blending trial and record clumping and static.

Bales: check net weight, moisture, wrapping, lot identification, colour variation and foreign matter. Retain arrival samples using the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A matching average cut length can hide short fragments and long fibres that disturb processing. Uneven finish can produce static or clumping, while contamination and colour variation become harder to remove after blending. Agree acceptance criteria against the approved sample and compare samples from different bales.

A generic polyamide description can conceal a different polymer or grade. Damp bales also distort comparisons based on delivered weight. Keep polymer identity, moisture basis and lot traceability in the purchase specification, and investigate differences before releasing the batch into production.

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.