Sourcing tufted candlewick fabric from China

Zero duty on tufted candlewick fabric

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, tufted textile fabrics under 5802 30 00 00 carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied snapshot records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, no suspension and no attached import controls for this line.

Heading 5802 covers terry towelling and similar woven terry fabrics, and tufted textile fabrics, with the exclusions stated in its description. Only the tufted textile fabric line is relevant here, so the table contains that line. See the wider tufted towelling fabric guide for related fabrics.

Ask the factory for a construction description, fibre composition and a sample showing the face and reverse. Confirm the commodity code from the actual fabric construction rather than the candlewick trade name. Finished bed linen needs separate classification.

Specify the tufts, ground and pattern

Specify the ground weave and fibre composition, tuft yarn composition and ply, tuft height, spacing and security, usable width, weight per square metre and pattern repeat. State the cutting direction and whether repeat measurements apply before or after washing. Approve a physical sample showing both the raised surface and the reverse.

Agree the washing procedure, acceptable shrinkage, colour match, shedding and appearance after washing. Include packing that protects the raised surface from crushing and moisture. Fabric sold to consumers by the metre needs fibre-content labelling; check the declared composition against the approved material.

Consumer products sold in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. State the intended end use when arranging material checks. For dyed fabric intended for prolonged skin contact, confirm with the relevant authority which UK REACH restrictions apply and arrange appropriate checks.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2,000 square metres of tufted candlewick fabric in rolls under 5802 30 00 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £400 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,400, so it is £1,280. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Tufts: compare height, coverage and pattern with the approved sample; check missing tufts, snagging, loose yarn and shedding after the agreed handling and wash checks.

Ground and repeat: check weave faults, puckering, pattern alignment and usable width; measure roll length and repeat against the order and packing list.

Washing and colour: wash samples using the agreed procedure; check shrinkage, distortion, flattened tufts and colour transfer, then compare shades between rolls.

Packing and identity: check roll identification, declared fibre composition, dampness, staining and crushed pile. Record defects before cutting; see quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A sample can have a fuller raised pattern than the delivered fabric. Loose tufts shed or pull out, uneven ground tension distorts the pattern, and different shrinkage between ground and tuft yarn changes the surface after washing. Roll shading becomes visible when panels are sewn together.

Approve a washed sample as well as an unwashed sample. Agree measurable acceptance criteria for tuft security, repeat and shrinkage, and inspect across sampled rolls before cutting. Keep affected rolls identified while the factory investigates.

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.