Sourcing polyester and nylon fabrics from China
Woven fabrics of synthetic filament yarn from China, including polyester and nylon taffeta, oxford, chiffon and satin, whether unbleached, dyed, yarn-dyed or printed, pay 8% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. Dyes and finishes fall under UK REACH, including the azo dye restriction, and fabric sold to consumers needs fibre labelling. Cambridge China Bridge sources them.
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A flat 8%
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, woven fabrics of high-tenacity nylon or polyester yarn, fabrics from strip, other woven fabrics of nylon, textured or other polyester filaments and other synthetic filaments, whether unbleached, dyed, of different colours or printed, carried 8% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Fabrics of staple fibre, knitted fabrics and coated fabrics are in other headings; confirm the commodity code from the yarn and construction. For rubber coatings, see our rubberised fabrics sourcing guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-tenacity nylon or polyester fabrics | 5407 10 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Fabrics from strip, other | 5407 20 90 00 | 8% | None |
| Nylon fabrics, dyed | 5407 42 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Nylon fabrics, printed | 5407 44 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Textured polyester fabrics, dyed | 5407 52 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Other polyester fabrics, dyed | 5407 61 30 00 | 8% | None |
| Other synthetic filament fabrics, dyed | 5407 72 00 00 | 8% | None |
REACH and finishes
Entry 43 of Annex XVII to UK REACH restricts azo dyes that can release listed aromatic amines in textiles that come into direct and prolonged contact with skin. Water-repellent and flame-retardant finishes need checking against other restrictions too, so ask for a test report per colour; see UK REACH.
Specification and labels
Specify yarn denier and filament count, weave, width, weight per square metre, colour fastness, shrinkage and any coating. Fabric sold to consumers by the metre needs fibre content under the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012. For monofilament sourcing, see our synthetic monofilament guide. For the reverse trade in performance fabrics, see our guide to exporting technical textiles to China. For aramid filament yarn, see our aramid yarn sourcing guide. For elastane yarn, see our elastane filament yarn sourcing guide.
Worked duty example
Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 30,000 metres of dyed textured polyester fabric under 5407 52 00 00. At £36,000 free on board and £3,000 to ship and insure, the customs value is £39,000. Polyester woven fabric at 8% pay £3,120 of duty; VAT is then worked out on value plus duty, £42,120, giving £8,424. Of the £11,544 paid at import, only the £3,120 of duty stays a cost for a VAT-registered business. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.
Inspection checklist
Construction and strength: mass per unit area to ISO 3801, ends and picks per centimetre, usable width, tensile strength to ISO 13934-1, tear strength to ISO 13937-2 and seam slippage to ISO 13936-1, each compared with the specification, with air permeability to ISO 9237 for down-proof and windproof fabrics. For ripstop procurement, see our nylon ripstop fabric sourcing guide.
Finishes and colour: water repellency by the spray test of ISO 4920 before and after the agreed washes, hydrostatic head to ISO 811 for coated fabrics, colour fastness to washing to ISO 105-C06, to light to ISO 105-B02 and to rubbing to ISO 105-X12, dimensional change to ISO 5077, and shade across rolls measured with a spectrophotometer against the approved lab dip using the CMC formula of ISO 105-J03.
Rolls: a sample of rolls inspected on a frame under the four-point system of ASTM D5430, roll length and width measured against the packing list, bow and skew checked on striped or printed fabrics, shade-banded rolls separated, and rolls wrapped on intact cores with the lot and roll numbers labelled.
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What goes wrong
Synthetic woven fabrics fail on shade, coating and seam strength. Rolls from different dye lots vary in shade so panels cut from them do not match, and PU or silicone coatings peel, crack or smell when cured badly. Loose weaves slip at the seams, water-repellent finishes wash out after a few cycles, and fabrics sold as recycled or with PFAS-free finishes may not match the claim.
Approve a lab dip and check shade across rolls under standard light, test hydrostatic head and coating adhesion for coated fabrics, test seam slippage and tear strength, wash-test water-repellent finishes, and ask for certificates that trace recycled content or finish chemistry to the lot. Run a four-point inspection on a sample of rolls.
Inspection
At inspection, use a four-point fabric check, measure width and weight, and compare shade across rolls against the approved lab dip.
Cambridge China Bridge sources polyester and nylon woven fabrics, with dyes, finishes and shade control settled before the order. See how our sourcing service works.
Related guides: Sourcing metallic thread fabrics from China and Sourcing silk fabrics from China. For organza purchases, see our polyester organza sourcing guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on polyester fabric from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, woven fabrics of synthetic filament yarn, including polyester and nylon, carried 8% duty from China.
Which REACH rule matters most for dyed fabric?
Entry 43 of Annex XVII, which restricts azo dyes releasing listed aromatic amines in textiles in prolonged skin contact.
Is knitted polyester fabric in heading 5407?
No. Knitted fabrics are in chapter 60.
How is fabric quality checked?
With a four-point inspection, width and weight checks, and shade comparison against the approved lab dip.