Sourcing polyester hand-knitting yarn from China

Duty on retail polyester staple yarn

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 5511 covers yarn other than sewing thread, made from man-made staple fibres and put up for retail sale. This guide covers polyester staple hand-knitting yarn. For other fibres, see our hand-knitting yarn guide.

The relevant synthetic staple lines carry 0% duty from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing measures, suspensions or attached import controls. Code 5511 10 00 00 covers synthetic fibre content of 85% or more by weight; 5511 20 00 00 covers less than 85%. The table repeats these codes for ball and hank options.

Confirm the commodity code using the full fibre breakdown, yarn construction and retail pack weight. A blend dominated by another fibre can move outside this heading, and retail put-up has weight rules. For cones and bulk spun yarn, see our spun polyester yarn guide.

Specify the polyester yarn and ball band

Specify staple-fibre construction, full blend percentages, yarn count, ply, twist, net ball weight and metres per ball. Agree colour references, dye-lot identification, winding format, recommended needle size, tension sample and care information. Approve a knitted sample as well as loose yarn so the factory can match handle, stitch definition and stretch.

Retail yarn must carry its fibre composition. Confirm the permitted fibre names and whether a trade name alone is acceptable with Trading Standards. Confirm composition before printing bands. Businesses importing or selling consumer products in the UK are responsible for their safety. Keep the approved sample, specification and relevant test reports with the order records.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 4,000 balls of polyester staple hand-knitting yarn, each 100 g under 5511 10 00 00, invoiced at £2,200 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,400, so it is £680. 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

Composition and bands: check the tested blend against the order and fibre label; match shade names and dye-lot identifiers on balls and cartons.

Weight and length: weigh conditioned samples and check metres per ball against the agreed yarn count and declared net weight.

Colour: compare samples from each dye lot with the approved shade under consistent lighting; check washing and rubbing colour fastness.

Knitting and packing: knit samples to check tension, splitting and pilling; unwind balls for knots and breaks, and inspect cartons for moisture and crushed packs.

What goes wrong

A ball can meet the weight specification but contain fewer metres because the yarn is thicker than approved. Changes in twist or ply can alter stitch definition and make the yarn split on the needle. Shade drift between dye lots leaves customers unable to match yarn bought for the same project.

Keep a retained sample from each dye lot and agree acceptance criteria against the approved knitted sample. Check weight, length, colour and band accuracy before dispatch, then compare arrival samples with the retained yarn. Use our quality inspection guide to organise the checks.

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.