Sourcing textile radiator covers from China

A flat 12% across the listed constructions

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6304 covers other furnishing articles, excluding those of heading 9404. The table shows candidate lines for textile radiator covers according to fibre and fabric construction. Give your broker the complete product specification, including any lining, backing or supporting structure.

All listed lines carry 12% duty for goods from China, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. The selected table rows have no attached import controls. Elsewhere in the heading, certain other-material lines carry CITES import controls. For materials involving listed species, check permit requirements before shipment from China; official guidance requires a permit for species listed in the relevant annexes. Ask your broker to confirm the control's application to the actual material.

Confirm the commodity code using a sample, fibre composition, construction and intended use. For the wider heading, see textile piano covers. The UK import duty and VAT guide explains the calculation method.

Specify radiator fit and intended heating conditions

Specify whether the cover is decorative during operation or a dust cover removed before heating. Identify the intended radiator type and follow its manufacturer's instructions when developing the design. Record finished width, height and depth, valve openings, pipe cut-outs, attachment method and ventilation openings. Approve the complete cover on the intended radiator rather than from a fabric swatch alone.

Agree fibre composition, knitted or woven construction, fabric weight, lining, backing, seams and fastening materials. Consumer products supplied in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. As part of your product assessment, ask a competent testing provider to evaluate heat exposure, ignition risk, airflow obstruction and foreseeable misuse for the intended installation.

Textile labels must show fibre content. Agree care and fitting instructions supported by sample trials, including whether removal before heating is intended. Check washing shrinkage, colour transfer and fastening performance. Use testing and certification support to define the evidence needed for the particular design.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 800 cotton textile radiator covers, illustrative order only 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

Fit and openings: fit representative covers to the agreed radiator or matching fixture; check valve access, pipe cut-outs, attachment security and the specified ventilation openings.

Fabric and make-up: compare bulk material with the retained sample; check lining, backing, missed stitches, seam ends, exposed fasteners and shade differences across cartons.

Use and washing: review the agreed heat-use assessment and test representative finished covers under their care instructions; check shrinkage, distortion, colour transfer and fastening retention.

Labels and packing: check fibre wording against the agreed composition, fitting instructions against the intended use, and size identification against the contents. Record arrival checks through the inspection process.

What goes wrong

A cover can fit the radiator body but obstruct its valve, conceal a pipe opening or sag across a ventilation gap. Washing can tighten the cover or distort the cut-outs. Compare the finished sample before and after washing, and retain an approved fitting sample for bulk inspection.

A substituted lining, backing or fastening can change how the finished cover behaves near heat. Decorative fabric approval alone does not demonstrate suitability for an operating radiator. Agree that material changes need fresh approval, and keep dust-cover instructions distinct from instructions for a cover intended to remain fitted during heating.

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.