Sourcing polycotton woven fabrics from China
Light woven fabrics of cotton mixed mainly with man-made fibres from China, containing less than 85% cotton and weighing up to 200 g/m², such as polycotton poplin, sheeting, shirting and printed fabric, pay 0% UK duty on all 22 lines of heading 5210, with no anti-dumping duty, unlike pure cotton fabric under 5208 at 8%. Buyers check blend ratio, weight, shrinkage and azo dyes.
Light polycotton woven fabrics under 85% cotton, up to 200 g/m², from China pay 0% UK duty. Blend, shrinkage and azo dye checks explained.
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 5210 covers woven fabrics of cotton containing less than 85% by weight of cotton, mixed mainly or solely with man-made fibres, weighing not more than 200 g/m². All 22 leaves, unbleached, bleached, dyed, yarn-dyed and printed, each split into handloom and other, carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure, no registration and no suspension.
Woven fabrics of 85% or more cotton weighing up to 200 g/m² are heading 5208 at 8% (see our cotton woven fabrics guide), and fabric that is mainly polyester is classified with synthetic fibre fabrics (see our polyester and viscose fabrics guide), so the blend ratio and weight decide the rate; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity codes | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unbleached, plain weave (handloom 10, other 90) | 5210 11 00 10, 5210 11 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Unbleached, other weaves (handloom 10, other 90) | 5210 19 00 10, 5210 19 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Bleached, plain weave (handloom 10, other 90) | 5210 21 00 10, 5210 21 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Bleached, other weaves (handloom 10, other 90) | 5210 29 00 10, 5210 29 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Dyed, plain weave (handloom 10, other 90) | 5210 31 00 10, 5210 31 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Dyed, 3- or 4-thread twill (handloom 10, other 90) | 5210 32 00 10, 5210 32 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Dyed, other weaves (handloom 10, other 90) | 5210 39 00 10, 5210 39 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Yarn-dyed, plain weave (handloom 10, other 90) | 5210 41 00 10, 5210 41 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Yarn-dyed, other weaves (handloom 10, other 90) | 5210 49 00 10, 5210 49 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Printed, plain weave (handloom 10, other 90) | 5210 51 00 10, 5210 51 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Printed, other weaves (handloom 10, other 90) | 5210 59 00 10, 5210 59 00 90 | 0% | None |
Dyes and labelling
Entry 43 of Annex XVII to UK REACH bans azo dyes that can release listed aromatic amines above 30 mg/kg in textile articles that may come into direct and prolonged contact with the skin, including clothing, bedding, towels and fabrics intended for use by the final consumer, so ask for azo test reports for each colourway.
Garments and home textiles made from these fabrics need a fibre composition label using the names in the retained Textile Fibre Names Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, so the declared cotton and polyester percentages must match the fabric.
Specifying polycotton
Specify blend ratio, yarn count and density, weave, weight in g/m², width, finish (such as easy-care or peached), colour fastness to washing and light, shrinkage after washing, pilling, and roll length and packing.
Worked duty example
Take a hypothetical order of 10,000 metres of printed polycotton poplin, entered under 5210 51 90 00: £12,000 free on board plus £900 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £12,900. Polycotton fabric carry no duty, so import VAT of 20% on £12,900, £2,580, is the only tax. A VAT-registered importer normally reclaims it, so the border adds no lasting cost. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.
Inspection checklist
Composition: check blend ratio and weight in a laboratory, because a shift above 85% cotton changes the code.
Performance: check shrinkage, colour fastness and pilling against the specification.
Rolls: check width, length, weaving and print faults, and shade variation between rolls.
What goes wrong
Polycotton orders fail on blend, shrinkage and shade. The blend differs from the label, fabric shrinks more than allowed, prints are misregistered, and colours differ between rolls and batches.
Test samples before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources polycotton fabrics for UK workwear, bedding, uniform and fashion buyers, checking the mill first. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on polycotton fabric from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, light cotton-blend woven fabrics under 5210 carried 0% from China.
Why is pure cotton fabric charged more?
Woven fabric of 85% or more cotton up to 200 g/m² is 5208, which carried 8%.
Are azo dyes restricted?
Yes. UK REACH Annex XVII entry 43 bans azo dyes releasing listed amines above 30 mg/kg in skin-contact textiles.
What fails most often?
Blend that differs from the label, shrinkage and shade differences between rolls.