Sourcing silk fabrics from China
Woven silk fabrics from China pay 2% UK duty for noil silk, 4% for plain-woven unbleached pongee, habotai, shantung and similar fabrics, and 6% for crepes, satins and dyed, printed or yarn-dyed silk, with no anti-dumping duty. Silk is bought by momme weight and tested for seam slippage, colour fastness and fibre content. Cambridge China Bridge sources silk fabrics.
Silk crepe, habotai, satin and noil fabrics from China pay 2% to 6% UK duty by type. Momme weight, seam slippage and fastness testing, with an example.
Rates by type of silk fabric
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, fabrics of noil silk (5007 10) carried 2% on goods from China, and pongee, habotai, honan, shantung, corah and similar fabrics wholly of silk, plain-woven and unbleached or only scoured (5007 20 21), carried 4%. Crepes, other plain weaves, open-weave fabrics and dyed, yarn-dyed and printed silk of 85% or more silk carried 6%, as did silk fabrics of other blends. None had an anti-dumping measure, and hand-loom and power-loom lines carry the same rates.
Silk is declared in square metres. Silk scarves and garments are made-up goods in other chapters; synthetic satins are covered in our polyester and nylon fabrics guide. Confirm the commodity code from a fibre test, the weave and the finish.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabrics of noil silk | 5007 10 00 90 | 2% | None |
| Pongee, habotai, shantung and similar, plain-woven, unbleached | 5007 20 21 90 | 4% | None |
| Crepes, unbleached, scoured or bleached | 5007 20 11 90 | 6% | None |
| Other silk fabrics of 85% or more silk, dyed | 5007 20 59 90 | 6% | None |
| Other silk fabrics of 85% or more silk, printed | 5007 20 71 90 | 6% | None |
| Other silk fabrics, dyed | 5007 90 30 90 | 6% | None |
Specifying and testing silk
Silk is specified by weave and by momme weight, with the mass per unit area checked by ISO 3801, and fibre content verified by the ISO 1833 methods, since silk blended with viscose or polyester changes both the code and the label. Seam slippage by ISO 13936-1 matters more for silk than for most fabrics, because smooth filament yarns pull apart at seams.
Colour fastness to washing by ISO 105-C06, perspiration by ISO 105-E04, rubbing by ISO 105-X12 and light by ISO 105-B02 should be agreed for the end use. Garments made from the fabric need a fibre label under the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012, and dyed silk should be tested for restricted azo dyes under UK REACH Annex XVII entry 43.
Worked duty example
Take a hypothetical order of 3,000 m² of dyed silk charmeuse, entered under 5007 20 59 90: £24,000 free on board plus £900 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £24,900. The 6% duty on dyed silk fabric comes to £1,494, and import VAT is 20% of £26,394, which is £5,278.80. If you are VAT-registered you normally reclaim the £5,278.80, leaving £1,494 as the real cost at the border. The declaration also reports the quantity in square metres. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.
What goes wrong
Silk fails on weight, shade and slippage. Fabric sold as a heavier momme weighs less, or is weighted with finishing agents; shade varies between dye lots and across the width; seams slip or yarns shift in wear; and slubs, water marks and creases that will not press out appear through the roll.
Weigh and count every lot against the approved sample, cut shade bands from each dye lot for approval, test seam slippage, fastness and fibre content, inspect rolls on a lighted frame, and ship rolls on tubes in sealed bags so they are not crushed or marked.
Cambridge China Bridge sources silk crepe, satin, habotai and printed silks for fashion, bridal and accessory brands, starting with sample lengths and small first lots. See how we handle smaller orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on silk fabric from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, noil silk carried 2%, plain unbleached habotai and similar 4%, and other silk fabrics 6% from China.
What is momme weight?
The traditional weight unit for silk fabric; check it by measuring mass per unit area with ISO 3801.
Why is seam slippage tested on silk?
Smooth silk filaments pull apart at seams, so seam slippage by ISO 13936-1 is a key test.
How do I confirm fabric is real silk?
Test fibre content by the ISO 1833 methods; blends change both the label and the commodity code.