Sourcing scarves and shawls from China
Woven scarves, shawls, mufflers, mantillas and veils from China pay 8% UK duty, whether silk, wool, fine animal hair such as cashmere, synthetic or artificial fibres, with no anti-dumping duty. The fibre content must be labelled with permitted fibre names, and silk and cashmere claims are where mislabelling is most common, so test the fabric. Cambridge China Bridge sources scarves and shawls.
Woven scarves, shawls, mufflers, veils and mantillas in silk, wool, cashmere, cotton or synthetics pay 8% UK duty from China. Fibre claims explained.
A flat 8%
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, shawls, scarves, mufflers, mantillas, veils and the like that are not knitted carried 8% duty on goods from China, in silk, wool or fine animal hair, synthetic fibres, artificial fibres or other materials, hand-made or not, with no anti-dumping measure.
Knitted scarves are in heading 6117; confirm the commodity code from the construction.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Of silk or silk waste, other | 6214 10 00 90 | 8% | None |
| Of wool or fine animal hair, other | 6214 20 00 90 | 8% | None |
| Of synthetic fibres, other | 6214 30 00 90 | 8% | None |
| Of artificial fibres, other | 6214 40 00 90 | 8% | None |
| Of other textile materials, other | 6214 90 00 99 | 8% | None |
Fibre labels and claims
The Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Names) Regulations 2012 require fibre composition using permitted fibre names, and a cashmere or silk claim must be true. Blends sold as pure cashmere or viscose sold as silk are common problems, so test a sample of bulk fabric before printing labels.
Design and finish
Specify size, weight, weave, edge finish (rolled, fringed or hemmed), print method and colour fastness. Printed designs must be yours or licensed; see the IP guide.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 2,000 woven wool scarves under 6214 20 00 90, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,500. Duty at 8% is £520. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,020, so it is £1,404. Import taxes total £1,924; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £520 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
What goes wrong
Scarves fail in ways a tech pack rarely covers. Fringes shed or unravel if they are not knotted or stitched, so specify the fringe finish and pull-test it. Acrylic sold as a cashmere-feel scarf pills within weeks; test pilling on the bulk fabric. Printed silk and viscose migrate colour when damp, and digital prints misregister across the width.
Cashmere and wool claims need a fibre composition test on bulk, because blends are the most common mislabelling in this category. At inspection, check length and width against the order, snags and loose threads along the selvedge, print alignment on a sample from each design, and that labels match the tested composition.
Inspection
At inspection, check size, print registration, loose threads, fringe length and labels, and rub-test colour.
Cambridge China Bridge sources silk, wool, cashmere and printed scarves, with fibre tests, designs and labels settled before the order. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on scarves from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, woven scarves, shawls and veils carried 8% duty from China in every fibre.
Are knitted scarves in heading 6214?
No. Knitted scarves are in heading 6117.
How do I make sure a cashmere claim is true?
Test a sample of the bulk fabric before printing labels; blends are often mislabelled.
What must the label show?
Fibre composition using permitted fibre names, under the 2012 regulations.