Sourcing synthetic fibre waste from China
Waste of man-made fibres from China, including noils, yarn waste and garnetted stock of nylon, polyester, acrylic, polypropylene and artificial fibres, pays 0% UK duty on all seven lines of heading 5505, with no anti-dumping duty. The tariff attaches the waste import control, so documents must be settled before shipping. Buyers check fibre type, contamination and bales.
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0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, heading 5505 covers waste (including noils, yarn waste and garnetted stock) of man-made fibres, split by polymer. All seven lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
The lines carry the waste import control: material that is still waste needs the information document for green-list waste, or notification and consent for notifiable waste, before it leaves China; garnetted stock can clear on a not-waste declaration only if it has undergone recycling or recovery and meets all the conditions of the end-of-waste test. Textile rags and scrap are covered in our wiping rags and textile scrap guide; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waste of PA6 and PA66 nylon | 5505 10 10 10 | 0% | None |
| Waste of other nylon or polyamides | 5505 10 10 90 | 0% | None |
| Waste of polyesters | 5505 10 30 00 | 0% | None |
| Waste of acrylic or modacrylic | 5505 10 50 00 | 0% | None |
| Waste of polypropylene | 5505 10 70 00 | 0% | None |
| Waste of other synthetic fibres | 5505 10 90 00 | 0% | None |
| Waste of artificial fibres | 5505 20 00 00 | 0% | None |
Specifying fibre waste
Specify the polymer, form (noils, yarn waste, garnetted fibre), colour sorting, contamination limits (other fibres, oil, metal), moisture, and bale packing. Products made from it and sold to consumers need fibre composition labels.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 tonnes of polyester fibre waste in bales under 5505 10 30 00, invoiced at £12,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £13,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £13,800, so it is £2,760. 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
Fibre: check the polymer and mixing with other fibres.
Contamination: check oil, dirt and hard contaminants.
Documents: check the waste declaration or documents before loading. See our quality inspection guide.
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What goes wrong
Fibre waste deals fail on mixing, contamination and paperwork. Polymers are mixed so recycling fails, oily or dirty waste is supplied, and shipments are held without the right documents.
Cambridge China Bridge sources fibres and materials for UK converters and makers from small lots; see small orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on polyester fibre waste from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, polyester fibre waste under 5505 10 30 00 carried 0% from China.
Does fibre waste need waste shipment documents?
If it is still waste, yes; garnetted fibre can clear on a not-waste declaration only if it has undergone recycling or recovery and meets all the conditions of the end-of-waste test.
What is garnetted stock?
Waste fibre pulled back into a fibrous state for reuse in spinning or nonwovens.
Are used textile rags in heading 5505?
No. Rags and textile scrap are heading 6310.