Sourcing synthetic fibre tops and sliver from China
Synthetic staple fibres that have been carded, combed or otherwise processed for spinning from China, such as acrylic and polyester tops and sliver, pay 0% UK duty on all six lines of heading 5506, with no anti-dumping duty. Unprocessed staple fibre is a different heading. Spinners and felt and craft suppliers check denier, cut length, crimp, finish, colour and sliver weight.
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0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, heading 5506 covers synthetic staple fibres, carded, combed or otherwise processed for spinning, split by polymer. All six lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Unprocessed polyester staple fibre is heading 5503, covered in our polyester staple fibre guide; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nylon staple fibres, carded or combed | 5506 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Polyester staple fibres, carded or combed | 5506 20 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Acrylic or modacrylic staple fibres, carded or combed | 5506 30 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Polypropylene staple fibres, carded or combed | 5506 40 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Polyvinyl alcohol fibres, carded or combed | 5506 90 00 10 | 0% | None |
| Other synthetic staple fibres, carded or combed | 5506 90 00 90 | 0% | None |
Specifying tops and sliver
Specify the polymer, denier or dtex, fibre length and length distribution, crimp, spin finish, dyed or raw white, colour against the standard, sliver weight per metre and packing in bumps or cans. Products made from them and sold to consumers need fibre composition labels under the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 2 tonnes of acrylic tops for spinning under 5506 30 00 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £600 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,600. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,600, so it is £1,320. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Testing: check denier, length and sliver weight on samples.
Colour: compare dyed lots against the standard.
Packing: check bumps or bales for contamination and lot marks. See our quality inspection guide.
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What goes wrong
Tops orders fail on length, neps and colour. Short fibre content is high, neps and contamination appear, and dyed lots differ in shade.
Cambridge China Bridge sources fibres for UK spinners and craft suppliers from small lots; see small orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on acrylic tops from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, acrylic staple fibres carded or combed under 5506 30 00 00 carried 0% from China.
What is the difference between headings 5503 and 5506?
Heading 5503 is staple fibre not processed for spinning; 5506 is carded, combed or otherwise processed fibre.
What should I check on tops?
Denier, fibre length, crimp, neps, colour and sliver weight.
Do felting fibres need a label?
Products made from them and sold to consumers need fibre composition labels.