Sourcing silk duchess satin fabric from China

UK duty on silk duchess satin fabric

Heading 5007 covers woven fabrics of silk or silk waste. For duchess satin, the relevant branches distinguish silk content and whether the fabric is unbleached, scoured, bleached, dyed, woven from differently coloured yarns or printed. The selected rows cover fabrics containing at least 85% silk or silk waste other than noil silk.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the selected duchess satin lines carry 6% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duties, suspensions or attached import controls for these lines. The broader heading includes rates from 2% to 6%; those lower rates concern other fabric types.

Confirm the commodity code from tested fibre composition, weave, finish and loom method rather than the supplier's fabric name. For wider heading coverage, see our silk charmeuse fabric guide. For the illustrative order, use our UK import duty and VAT guide.

Specify duchess satin structure and finish

Agree the fibre composition, satin construction, momme weight, usable width and required firmness. Keep an approved sample that shows the face sheen, reverse, body and drape. For bridal panels or structured dresses, assess a sewn and pressed sample rather than judging the fabric only as a loose swatch.

Specify the shade and acceptable variation between rolls, and agree whether the finish should remain firm after the intended cleaning process. Check mass per unit area and fibre content, and agree seam-slippage and colour-fastness tests for the intended use. For dyed silk, confirm any applicable azo-dye restrictions with HSE and agree appropriate tests, using the site's silk fabrics guide to plan the checks.

For sale in Great Britain, textile labels must show fibre content. Match the composition wording to the tested fabric rather than treating 'duchess satin' as a fibre description. Keep the approved sample, test reports and roll identification together.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 3,000 m² of dyed silk duchess satin fabric under 5007 20 59 90, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £24,900. Duty at 6% is £1,494. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £26,394, so it is £5,278.80. Import taxes total £6,772.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,494 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Composition and weight: compare fibre results and measured mass per unit area with the order and approved sample; check usable width and roll length.

Shade and sheen: compare samples from each dye lot and across the width under consistent lighting; check that adjoining dress panels will match.

Surface and handling: inspect the satin face for snags, slubs, water marks, pressure marks and persistent creases; trial pressing on a sample.

Seams and packing: test seam slippage and colour transfer; check that rolls are supported on tubes, protected from moisture and identified by lot.

What goes wrong

A swatch can look suitable while the delivered rolls differ in body, shade or surface finish. A softer substitute may fail to hold the intended silhouette, while finishing agents can make weight alone misleading. Record both measured weight and the behaviour of an approved sewn sample.

Long satin floats can snag during handling, and pressure marks or shade bands may become visible across large garment panels. Inspect before cutting, keep dye lots separate and record defects by roll. Agree acceptance and replacement terms against the approved sample before production.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.