Sourcing sleeping bags from China

Sleeping bags carry 2% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 8 October 2026, sleeping bags under 9404 30 00 00 carried 2% duty for goods from China. Heading 9404 covers mattress supports and filled bedding and similar furnishings. The supplied sleeping-bag line records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table shows product variants sharing the same tariff line.

The tariff attaches import and export controls on cat and dog fur: imports and exports of that fur and products made from it are banned. Obtain a material declaration covering any fur trim. It also lists a cultural-goods export licence control; confirm its relevance to any planned re-export with your customs broker.

Confirm the construction and intended use through finding your commodity code, rather than copying a supplier's code. For other products within the heading, see mattresses, pillows and bedding. For cushion fillings, see our cushion insert sourcing guide.

Filling, fit and temperature claims

This guide concerns camping sleeping bags. Specify the shell and lining fibres, filling type and weight, down composition where used, baffle layout, finished dimensions, hood adjustment, zip direction and packed size. Keep an approved sample and require written approval before material substitutions.

Products should only be sold after appropriate demonstration of product safety compliance. Textile labels must show fibre content, including fur and other animal parts. Ask for temperature test reports that identify the supplied construction and explain the claimed rating; avoid treating a factory's season description as measured performance.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 600 sleeping bags, illustrative order under 9404 30 00 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,000. Duty at 2% is £180. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,180, so it is £1,836. Import taxes total £2,016; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £180 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Filling: compare fill weight and distribution with the specification; check empty baffles, clumps and feather leakage.

Construction: measure the opened bag and inspect stitching, seam gaps, hood adjustment and the zip guard; operate the zip through its full travel.

Claims and labels: match fibre declarations and temperature reports to the delivered materials and model.

Arrival condition: unpack samples and check dampness, odour, staining and loft after compression; compare the recovered bag with the approved sample.

What goes wrong

A bag can look like the approved sample but contain less filling or a different insulation material. Uneven baffles create cold areas, zips catch the lining, and loose seams allow filling to escape. A temperature report for another construction does not resolve those differences.

Write the material specification and acceptance checks into the order. Hold questionable stock for assessment when labels, reports or construction differ from approval, and use testing and certification support to resolve the evidence gap.

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.