Sourcing textile wallcoverings from China
Textile wallcoverings from China, including woven, nonwoven, felt, linen, silk and parallel-yarn wallcoverings on a backing, pay 0% UK duty on all 12 lines of heading 5905, with no anti-dumping duty. Wallcoverings sold for buildings are covered by the harmonised standard BS EN 15102, and projects often need a reaction to fire class to BS EN 13501-1.
Grasscloth-style, linen, silk, felt and nonwoven textile wallcoverings from China pay 0% UK duty. Fire classification, EN 15102 and roll checks explained.
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 5905 covers textile wall coverings, split by construction and fibre: parallel yarns fixed on a backing, flax, jute, woven synthetic or artificial fibres, nonwovens, felt, other bast fibres, silk and others. All 12 lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure and no tariff suspension.
Paper-backed wallpapers with a paper face, and vinyl wallcoverings, are heading 4814 (see our wallpaper guide), and true grasscloth of vegetable plaiting material may fall in chapter 46, so confirm the commodity code from what forms the face of the covering.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parallel yarns fixed on a backing | 5905 00 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Of flax (linen) | 5905 00 30 00 | 0% | None |
| Of jute | 5905 00 50 00 | 0% | None |
| Woven, of synthetic fibres (staple or waste) | 5905 00 70 10 | 0% | None |
| Nonwovens of man-made fibres | 5905 00 70 40 | 0% | None |
| Of silk | 5905 00 90 20 | 0% | None |
Construction product rules
Decorative wallcoverings in roll and panel form are within the harmonised standard BS EN 15102 under the retained Construction Products Regulation (EU) No 305/2011, which brings a declaration of performance and UKCA or CE marking covering reaction to fire and release of dangerous substances.
Commercial, hospitality and public projects usually ask for a reaction to fire classification to BS EN 13501-1 for the wallcovering on its intended substrate and adhesive, so ask for the test report and the mounting it was tested on.
Specifying wallcoverings
Specify face material and construction, backing (paper or nonwoven), roll width and length, weight per square metre, pattern match and repeat, colour references and batch, light fastness, washability or cleanability, reaction to fire class, hanging method and adhesive, and roll packing with end caps.
Worked duty example
For a made-up shipment of 3,000 rolls of nonwoven textile wallcovering under 5905 00 70 40, add the £2,300 of freight and insurance to the £27,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £29,300. Duty on textile wallcoverings is zero, leaving import VAT of £5,860, 20% of the customs value. For a VAT-registered buyer that is a cash-flow cost rather than a lasting one. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
Inspection checklist
Rolls: check width, length and weight on sampled rolls, and that every roll carries the same batch number, since shade varies between batches.
Appearance: unroll lengths to check shade, pattern match, slubs, joins, backing delamination and edge straightness, and hang a trial panel if the job is visible.
Documents: check the declaration of performance, BS EN 13501-1 classification report and its substrate, and light fastness results where specified.
What goes wrong
Wallcovering orders fail on shade, backing and fire evidence. Rolls from different batches differ visibly on the wall, the face lifts from the backing when pasted, edges are not straight so seams show, and the fire classification was tested on a different substrate.
Keep batches together, trial-hang a sample and check the fire report before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources textile wallcoverings for UK interior contractors and wallpaper brands, checking the mill's testing first. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on textile wallcoverings from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, textile wallcoverings under 5905 carried 0% from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
Are vinyl wallpapers in the same heading?
No. Wallpaper and vinyl wallcoverings are heading 4814.
Which standard covers wallcoverings?
BS EN 15102 covers decorative wallcoverings in roll and panel form, with reaction to fire classified to BS EN 13501-1.
Why must rolls share a batch number?
Shade varies between production batches, and mixed batches show on the wall.