Sourcing ramie and paper yarn fabrics from China
Woven fabrics of other vegetable textile fibres from China, chiefly ramie, and woven fabrics of paper yarn, pay 0% UK duty on all three lines of heading 5311, with no anti-dumping duty. Linen and jute fabrics are other headings. Buyers check fibre content, hand, shrinkage, colour and the label description.
Buying from China for a business? How our UK China sourcing agent service works · China sourcing agent for small orders and first imports
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, heading 5311 covers woven fabrics of other vegetable textile fibres and woven fabrics of paper yarn, with lines for ramie, a paper yarn fabric laminated to tissue paper, and others. All three lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Linen fabric is covered in our linen fabric guide, and ramie fibre in our coir, ramie and abaca fibre guide; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woven fabrics of ramie | 5311 00 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Plain-woven paper yarn fabric glued on tissue paper | 5311 00 90 10 | 0% | None |
| Other woven fabrics of vegetable fibres or paper yarn | 5311 00 90 90 | 0% | None |
Labelling and specification
Ramie is often sold looking like linen, but a fibre composition label under the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012 must name ramie, and blends must normally list each fibre, subject to the permitted labelling exceptions. Test the fibre content rather than relying on the supplier's description.
Specify fibre content, weight, construction, width, finish (softened, enzyme-washed, sized), colour and fastness, shrinkage, and for paper yarn fabrics the backing and use.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 3,000 metres of ramie fabric under 5311 00 10 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,500, so it is £1,900. 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
Fibre: test fibre content on samples.
Hand and shrinkage: wash-test for shrinkage and stiffness.
Colour: compare rolls against the standard. See our quality inspection guide.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
Ramie fabric orders fail on fibre content, shrinkage and hand. Blends are sold as pure ramie or as linen, fabric shrinks after washing, and the hand is stiff because it was not softened.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these materials for UK makers from small lots; see small orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on ramie fabric from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, woven ramie fabric under 5311 00 10 00 carried 0% from China.
Can ramie be labelled as linen?
No. A fibre composition label must name ramie; linen means flax.
Is linen fabric in heading 5311?
No. Flax fabric is heading 5309.
What are paper yarn fabrics used for?
Wallcoverings, crafts and packaging; confirm the code from the construction and backing.