Sourcing textile lectern covers from China

A flat 12% across the relevant constructions

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6304 covers other furnishing articles, excluding those of heading 9404. For textile lectern covers classified here, the relevant lines distinguish knitted or crocheted fabric from non-knitted cotton, synthetic fibres, flax or ramie and other textile materials. Treat the table as candidate classifications for the finished cover.

The supplied snapshot records 12% duty for goods from China throughout the heading, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. CITES import controls are attached to some other-material lines. Where materials contain a listed species, permit requirements need checking before import from China. Official guidance requires a permit for species listed in Annex A, B or C; ask your customs broker to confirm the documents and restrictions for the actual material.

Give the broker the finished sample, fibre composition, fabric construction and intended use to confirm the commodity code. For the wider furnishing heading, see textile banquet chair covers. Allow separately for import VAT using the UK import duty and VAT guide.

Specify the lectern profile and visible logo

Provide a drawing or template showing the lectern width, depth, sloping top, front drop and rear opening. State whether the product is a fitted enclosure or a front drape. Mark microphone mounts, cable routes, shelves and controls that must remain accessible. Specify hems, seam positions, fastening locations and the permitted clearance above the floor.

Agree fibre composition, fabric weight, opacity, stretch, shade and cleaning method. Approve logo size, position and orientation on a cover fitted to the intended lectern. Check embroidery backing, print colour transfer and puckering after cleaning. Textile labels must show fibre content. Ask the venue which fire-performance evidence it expects, then agree testing of the finished fabric and decoration before production.

General product safety rules apply where consumer use is intended or reasonably foreseeable, including relevant use during a service. Review slipping covers, trailing hems and accessible fastenings as part of the sample assessment.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 800 woven polyester lectern covers; FOB and freight values are illustrative under 6304 93 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

Fit: install sampled covers on the agreed lectern or template; check the top slope, front drop, rear access and clearance around cables and controls.

Fabric and decoration: compare shade, opacity and logo position with the approved sample; check loose embroidery threads, puckering, print cracking and colour transfer.

Seams and fastenings: check skipped stitches, open corners and distorted hems; pull attachment points and repeatedly operate the supplied closures.

Cleaning and labels: clean complete samples using the agreed method and reassess fit, shade and decoration; compare fibre labels, care wording and carton contents with the order through the inspection process.

What goes wrong

A cover made from front dimensions alone can twist on a sloping lectern or obstruct the rear shelf. Stretch fabric can pull a logo out of shape, while thin fabric reveals the lectern beneath it. Approve the complete sample on the intended profile, with decoration and fastenings attached.

Bulk fabric substitutions can change drape, opacity and shrinkage. Embroidery can pucker after washing, print can transfer onto adjacent fabric in storage, and attachment stitching can tear during repeated fitting. Keep the approved sample and agree that fabric, decoration or fastening changes require fresh approval.

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.