Sourcing textile postal sacks from China
New textile postal sacks from China carry 4% to 12% UK duty under the relevant heading 6305 lines; cotton and woven polypropylene sacks carry 6%. Packaging must use the minimum weight and volume needed to keep its contents safe and hygienic. Cambridge China Bridge sources textile postal sacks.
Duty by material and construction
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 6305 covers sacks and bags used for packing goods. This guide concerns textile sacks for collecting and transporting letters and parcels. Cotton sacks and ordinary woven polypropylene strip sacks carry 6% duty from China, new jute sacks 4%, and knitted or crocheted polyethylene or polypropylene strip sacks 12%. Used jute sacks carry 2%.
The selected postal sack lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, tariff suspension or attached import control in the supplied tariff record. The suspension elsewhere in this heading concerns qualifying polypropylene bulk containers with polyethylene liners, not the postal sack lines listed here. See the wider bulk bags and woven sacks guide.
Confirm the commodity code using the fabric composition, strip or yarn construction, knitting or weaving, and packing use. Give the broker photographs and a material specification rather than relying on the description 'mail bag'. Plastic film mailing bags are covered separately from textile sacks. See UK import duty and VAT for the calculation method.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton postal sacks, not knitted or crocheted | 6305 20 00 90 | 6% | None |
| Woven polyethylene or polypropylene strip postal sacks | 6305 33 90 00 | 6% | None |
| Other man-made textile postal sacks, not knitted or nonwoven | 6305 39 00 99 | 6% | None |
| New jute or other textile bast fibre postal sacks | 6305 10 90 00 | 4% | None |
| Knitted or crocheted polyethylene or polypropylene strip postal sacks | 6305 33 10 00 | 12% | None |
Fabric, closures and routing labels
Specify fibre composition, fabric weight, finished dimensions, usable mouth opening, seam construction and reinforcement around handles and eyelets. Agree the intended contents and handling load. Choose a drawcord, zip or seal-compatible closure, and approve the label pocket position using the routing label your depot actually uses.
Packaging must use the minimum weight and volume needed to keep the contents safe and hygienic. For woven polypropylene sacks, assess Plastic Packaging Tax and retain recycled-content evidence. The transport-packaging exemption depends on how packaging is used rather than its type; do not assume that calling a sack reusable settles its tax treatment.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 6,000 woven polypropylene postal sacks under 6305 33 90 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,800. Duty at 6% is £588. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £10,388, so it is £2,077.60. Import taxes total £2,665.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £588 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Fabric and dimensions: compare material, fabric weight, sack size and mouth opening with the approved sample; look for thin patches, cuts and coating damage.
Seams and handles: load sample sacks with representative contents, lift by the intended grip points and check for stitch opening, fabric tearing and loose eyelets.
Closure and identification: operate drawcords or zips, fit the agreed seal, check that the mouth closes fully and confirm routing labels remain readable in their pockets.
Arrival condition: check for dampness, mould, odour and colour transfer onto paper; compare sacks across cartons and retain examples of defects. Agree checks through quality inspection.
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What goes wrong
A sack can match the outside dimensions yet have a mouth too narrow for the parcels being handled. Drawcord channels snag, eyelets pull through weak reinforcement and seams open when a loaded sack is dragged or lifted. Label pockets can crease routing labels or leave them exposed to moisture.
Approve a sample with your actual contents, closure and routing label before production. Ask for handling and cleaning trials suited to the intended reuse. Treat water resistance as a performance claim to test, including seams and closures, rather than assuming coated fabric makes the complete sack waterproof.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on textile postal sacks from China?
Cotton and ordinary woven polypropylene strip sacks carry 6%; new jute sacks 4%; knitted polyethylene or polypropylene strip sacks 12%. Used jute sacks carry 2%. Confirm the material and construction.
Do reusable postal sacks count for Plastic Packaging Tax?
Woven polypropylene sacks are plastic packaging. Assess the tax position: the transport-packaging exemption depends on how the packaging is used, rather than its type.
What should I specify for a postal sack?
State fabric, dimensions, mouth opening, intended load, seams, handles, closure and routing-label pocket. Approve the sample using your own parcels and depot labels.
How do I check postal sacks when they arrive?
Measure the sacks and openings, inspect fabric and seams, trial the closures and label pockets, and check loaded handling, dampness and colour transfer onto paper.