Sourcing terry towelling fabric from China

Zero duty on fabric

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, terry towelling and similar woven terry fabrics of cotton or of other textile materials, and tufted textile fabrics, heading 5802, carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure and no suspension. The lines are declared by the square metre.

Made-up towels, bathrobes and bed linen are headings 6302 and 6107 to 6208 and pay more; see our mattresses and bedding guide. Knitted terry and loop-pile fabrics are knitted fabrics, covered in our knitted fabrics guide, so confirm the commodity code from the construction.

What to specify

Terry is bought on weight per square metre (gsm), yarn count and ply in the loop and ground, loop height, whether one or both sides are looped, and finish. Cotton terry shrinks, so agree whether the fabric is pre-shrunk and the maximum shrinkage after washing in the product specification.

Fabric sold on to consumers by the metre is a textile product under the [Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1102/contents), so ask for the fibre composition to be stated and tested.

Worked duty example

Take a hypothetical order of 12,000 m² of cotton terry towelling fabric in rolls, entered under 5802 10 00 00: £30,000 free on board plus £2,000 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £32,000. Terry fabric carry no duty, so import VAT of 20% on £32,000, £6,400, is the only tax. A VAT-registered importer normally reclaims it, so the border adds no lasting cost. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.

Inspection checklist

Weight and width: measure mass per unit area by ISO 3801 on samples from several rolls against the gsm in the order, and measure usable width and roll length against the packing list.

Shrinkage and colour: wash samples by an ISO 6330 procedure and measure dimensional change by ISO 5077, and test colour fastness to washing by ISO 105-C06 and to rubbing by ISO 105-X12 for dyed terry, against the limits agreed in the order.

Absorbency and loops: agree an absorbency test, such as the time for a water drop to sink in, and run it on samples after one wash, then check for pulled or missing loops, weaving faults and shading across the width on an inspection frame.

What goes wrong

Terry fabric fails on weight, shrinkage and absorbency. Rolls come in below the ordered gsm, cotton shrinks more than agreed so finished towels and robes are undersized, softeners make new terry repel water, loops pull out along the edges, and shade varies between rolls so made-up products do not match.

Weigh and measure sampled rolls, wash-test before cutting, check absorbency after a wash, and ask for one dye lot per order. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources cotton and polyester terry for towel, robe and baby-product makers, and has no minimum order of its own; the mill's minimum per colour applies. See small orders.