Sourcing banquet table skirts from China

A flat 12% duty on textile table skirts

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6304 covers other furnishing articles, excluding those of heading 9404. For textile banquet table skirts within this heading, choose the line by fibre and construction. The wider furnishing guide covers throws, bedspreads and cushion covers.

All relevant lines carry 12% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls for the table rows above. Some other-material lines within the heading have CITES import controls. If protected-species material is proposed, confirm the requirement with your customs broker before ordering.

For CITES specimens entering Great Britain from China, obtain the applicable British import permission and corresponding Chinese export permission, and check species-specific import restrictions. For ordinary textile skirts, confirm the commodity code using the fabric composition, knitted or woven construction and finished product description.

Specify pleats, finished coverage and attachments

State whether the skirt dresses the front and ends or the whole table. Specify finished length after pleating, drop from the attachment line, corner treatment, overlap and hem clearance. Give the pleat style and fabric weight, and approve a sample fitted to your actual table.

Specify the attachment tape, clip design and table-edge thickness it must fit. Agree washing, drying and ironing instructions, then assess a washed sample for shrinkage, pleat recovery and colour transfer. Ask the venue what fire performance it expects and obtain evidence for any flame-retardant claim on the supplied fabric.

Textile labels must show fibre content, including fur and other animal parts. In Great Britain, general product safety rules apply to products intended for or likely to be used by consumers; those products must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative batch of woven cotton banquet table skirts for a catering supplier under 6304 92 00 90, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,800. Duty at 12% is £1,176. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £10,976, so it is £2,195.20. Import taxes total £3,371.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,176 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Coverage: at inspection, fit the finished skirt to the intended table and check pleated length, corners, overlap and floor clearance.

Attachments: check clip fit, tape alignment and attachment stitching; pull gently along the fitted skirt to reveal slipping clips or weak seams.

Laundering: wash and dry a sample by the agreed method, then compare drop, length, pleat shape and colour with the approved sample.

Fabric and labels: compare shade across cartons, check hems and snagging, and verify the fibre label against the agreed composition.

What goes wrong

A quotation may give flat fabric length rather than finished pleated coverage, leaving the skirt short around corners. Clips can miss the table edge, attachment tape can twist, and uneven hems can drag on the floor. Record finished measurements and retain the fitted approval sample.

Washing can shorten the drop, flatten pleats or release dye onto neighbouring linen. A flame-retardant claim may lack evidence for the supplied finish after washing. Agree the cleaning method before bulk production and assess the same construction and finish that will be delivered.

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.