Sourcing sewn garment pocket bags from China

12% duty on sewn woven pocket bags

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 6217 covers other made-up clothing accessories and garment parts. Sewn woven pocket bags supplied as garment parts fall within the parts line, 6217 90 00 00, carrying 12% duty from China. The supplied facts show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table shows pocket-bag uses sharing this line.

The parts line attaches CITES, cat and dog fur, and seal-product import controls, plus CITES and cat and dog fur export controls. Cat and dog fur products are banned from import and export. Check CITES permit requirements if protected-species materials are present. Seal products imported into Great Britain for trade need a seal catch certificate. For a shipment from China containing animal materials, confirm the applicable controls and documents with your customs broker.

Confirm the commodity code using the fabric construction, degree of sewing and intended garment use. Do not assume raw pocketing fabric or knitted parts share this classification. See the textile belts and garment parts guide for the wider heading.

Specify the pocket pattern and fabric

Supply the cutting pattern, finished pocket depth, opening shape, seam allowances, attachment notches and fabric grain direction. Identify left and right pieces and show where each attaches to the garment. Specify fibre composition, fabric weight, weave, colour, seam construction and thread. Approve a sample sewn into the intended garment, rather than judging a loose pocket bag alone.

Confirm with Trading Standards the fibre-composition labelling requirements and any exemptions for textile products sold to consumers. Confirm the labelling treatment for the way you supply these components and retain the factory's fibre specification. Ask HSE whether UK REACH restrictions on certain azo dyes apply to textile parts that touch the skin. Agree appropriate chemical, colour-transfer and washing checks through testing and certification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 1,000 sewn woven garment pocket bags under 6217 90 00 00, invoiced at £2,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,800. Duty at 12% is £336. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,136, so it is £627.20. Import taxes total £963.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £336 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Pattern: check finished depth, opening shape, seam allowance and attachment notches against the approved pattern; compare left and right pieces.

Seams: check skipped stitches, open seams, loose thread ends and fraying; load the pocket in the finished garment to check seam strength.

Fabric: check fibre documentation, shade consistency, transparency and colour transfer against the approved sample.

Washing: wash pocket bags with the intended outer fabric and check shrinkage, twisting, puckering and pocket access afterwards.

What goes wrong

A pocket bag can match its loose dimensions yet pull the garment out of shape once attached. Misplaced notches, reversed pieces or a different grain direction cause twisting and a tight opening. Fabric that shrinks differently from the garment shell can leave the pocket mouth puckered after washing.

Loose weave and exposed cut edges can fray through the seam, while skipped stitches let small objects escape. Dark pocketing can stain a light garment. Keep an approved assembled sample, compare production fabric with it and inspect before dispatch using the agreed quality inspection checklist.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.