Sourcing Sherpa pile knitted fabric from China

A flat 8% duty on knitted pile fabric

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 6 November 2026, heading 6001 covers knitted or crocheted pile fabrics, including long pile and looped pile. For Sherpa fabric, confirm the actual construction and fibre composition rather than classifying from the trade name alone. The table lists alternatives for different constructions and fibres.

All supplied lines carry 8% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The selected table lines have no attached import controls. Elsewhere in the heading, the tariff attaches CITES import and export controls to some lines, and an export control to synthetic long pile. For those lines, confirm the requirement with your customs broker. Importing CITES specimens requires a permit.

Ask the mill for the pile construction, backing composition and a representative sample to confirm your commodity code. See the wider fleece, plush and pile knit guide for other fabrics within this heading.

Specify Sherpa texture and backing

Describe the curled, fleece-like pile using an approved sample. Specify fibre composition for pile and backing, mass per square metre, usable width after finishing, pile height, curl appearance, stretch and colour. State whether the fabric is supplied alone or bonded to another material, and submit the complete construction for classification.

Agree acceptable shedding, pilling, shrinkage and pile recovery after washing. Keep a sample showing both faces and the intended handle. For fabric sold to consumers by the metre, fibre composition labelling is required; a description such as Sherpa does not identify the fibres.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 8,000 metres of polyester Sherpa pile knitted fabric under 6001 92 00 00, invoiced at £12,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £13,200. Duty at 8% is £1,056. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £14,256, so it is £2,851.20. Import taxes total £3,907.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,056 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Pile: compare curl size, density and handle with the approved sample; inspect for bare patches, flattened areas and finishing bands.

Dimensions: measure usable width and mass per square metre across sampled rolls, and check roll length against the packing list.

Wear and washing: compare shedding with the approved sample, test pilling and rubbing, then wash samples to check shrinkage and changes in pile texture.

Backing and records: inspect for dropped stitches, holes and edge curl; match roll identifiers, dye lots and fibre declarations to the order.

What goes wrong

A sample can feel dense while bulk fabric has a thinner pile or lighter backing. Loose fibres transfer onto clothing, curls mat after washing, dark shades rub off and tightly packed rolls arrive with crushed pile. Differences between dye lots become visible when panels are sewn together.

Agree the inspection method against the retained sample before production. Check bulk fabric before loading and repeat the key checks on arrival before cutting. Keep suspect rolls separate by dye lot. See quality inspection explained.

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.