Sourcing pyjamas and nightwear from China
Knitted pyjamas, nightdresses, dressing gowns and briefs from China pay 12% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. Nightwear has its own safety law: most children's nightwear must meet flammability requirements, and adult nightwear needs a KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE or LOW FLAMMABILITY TO BS 5722 label. Cambridge China Bridge sources own-label nightwear with the testing and labels in place.
Knitted pyjamas, nightdresses and briefs pay 12% UK duty from China. The Nightwear Safety Regulations decide the fabric for children and the label for adults.
12% across knitted nightwear
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, knitted women's nightdresses and pyjamas, briefs, and dressing gowns and bathrobes of cotton or man-made fibres all carried 12% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Woven nightwear sits in chapter 62, so confirm the commodity code against the fabric.
Fibre composition must be on the label as for any garment; the womenswear guide covers the fibre label and fit sampling that apply here too.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Briefs and panties of cotton | 6108 21 00 00 | 12% | None |
| Briefs and panties of man-made fibres | 6108 22 00 00 | 12% | None |
| Nightdresses and pyjamas of cotton | 6108 31 00 00 | 12% | None |
| Nightdresses and pyjamas of man-made fibres | 6108 32 00 00 | 12% | None |
| Dressing gowns, bathrobes and similar of man-made fibres | 6108 92 00 00 | 12% | None |
The Nightwear Safety Regulations
The Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985 treat children's and adults' nightwear differently. Under regulation 4, children's nightwear, other than pyjamas, babies' garments and cotton terry towelling bathrobes, must not be made of fabric incapable of meeting the flammability performance requirements; the three exceptions must be labelled instead. Under regulation 6, adults' nightwear must be labelled in accordance with Schedule 2.
Schedule 2 sets the label. A garment that does not meet the flammability test must say KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE in red letters; one that does may say LOW FLAMMABILITY TO BS 5722 in black, or the fire warning, or both. The letters are medium upper case of 10 point, the label must be durable and securely attached, at the neck or next to the size label. Put the wording into the label artwork and check it at inspection.
| Garment | Label |
|---|---|
| Does not meet the flammability performance requirements | KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE, in red |
| Meets the flammability performance requirements | LOW FLAMMABILITY TO BS 5722 in black, or KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE, or both |
| Lettering | Medium upper case letters of 10 point, durable label, securely attached |
Children's ranges need fabric testing
For children's nightdresses and dressing gowns, the fabric itself has to pass, so the test report has to be for the bulk fabric, after washing where the regulations require it, not for a sample swatch. Brushed and fleecy fabrics burn faster, which is why they are the ones that fail; decide the fabric with the flammability test in mind rather than testing after the order.
If a fabric passes only because of a flame retardant treatment, the regulations add their own labelling for that as well, so tell the factory before it treats anything.
Fit, softness and packing
Loungewear and nightwear sell on softness, so approve the fabric hand as well as the colour, and ask for pilling and shrinkage tests. Sets are sold as sets, so check that tops and bottoms from different cutting batches match in shade.
Cambridge China Bridge sources own-label pyjamas, nightwear and loungewear with the flammability testing and Schedule 2 labels settled before production. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on pyjamas from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, knitted pyjamas and nightdresses of cotton or man-made fibres carried 12% duty from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
What label does adult nightwear need in the UK?
Under Schedule 2 of the Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985: KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE in red if it does not meet the flammability test; LOW FLAMMABILITY TO BS 5722 in black, or the fire warning, if it does.
Must children's pyjamas meet the flammability test?
Regulation 4 exempts children's pyjamas, babies' garments and cotton terry towelling bathrobes from the fabric requirement but requires them to be labelled. Other children's nightwear must meet it.
Why do brushed nightwear fabrics fail?
Raised and fleecy surfaces burn faster, so choose the fabric with the flammability test in mind and test the bulk fabric, not a swatch.