Sourcing tufted marine carpet from China

A flat 8% duty on tufted marine carpet

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 7 October 2026, heading 5703 covers tufted carpets and other textile floor coverings, whether or not made up. The supplied lines all carry 8% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measures and no suspensions recorded. The table focuses on synthetic carpet supplied as rolls or cut pieces rather than tiles.

The selected synthetic lines list an export licence control, rather than an import control. Elsewhere in the heading, the tariff attaches CITES and cat and dog fur import controls. For animal or other non-synthetic fibres, ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable requirements before ordering. Species listed in CITES Annex A, B or C need a permit; confirm whether the proposed fibre is covered.

Confirm the commodity code from tufted construction, pile fibre, printing and whether the goods are tiles. A marine-use description alone does not identify the tariff line. See the tufted automotive carpet guide for related products within the wider heading.

Specify the carpet for its deck or cabin

State whether the carpet will cover an exposed deck, a sheltered cockpit or an enclosed cabin. Specify pile fibre, cut or loop pile, pile mass, height, roll dimensions, colour, backing and edge finish. Agree samples for sunlight exposure, saltwater wetting, cleaning and drying. Check the proposed adhesive against the actual deck surface and backing.

Importers supplying consumer products are responsible for their safety. Fibre composition labelling for floor coverings identifies the use surface. For merchant-ship projects, official fire-protection guidance supports surveyors checking compliance. Ask the vessel surveyor to agree the relevant carpet, underlay and installation evidence before ordering; obtain reports matching the proposed backing and assembly.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 3,000 square metres of tufted polypropylene marine carpet under 5703 39 19 00, invoiced at £21,000 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £24,500. Duty at 8% is £1,960. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £26,460, so it is £5,292. Import taxes total £7,252; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,960 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Pile and colour: compare fibre documentation, pile mass, height, tuft retention and colour with the approved sample; lay adjoining roll samples together to reveal shade differences.

Wet backing: wet and dry samples using the agreed procedure; check for shrinkage, curling, backing separation, colour transfer and persistent odour.

Fit and adhesion: measure usable roll dimensions, trial-fit cut pieces around hatches, inspect bound edges and test the agreed adhesive on a representative deck panel.

Documents and packing: match fibre labels and any agreed fire reports to the delivered construction; check batch identification, dry wrapping and crushed roll cores. Use a quality inspection brief that records these checks.

What goes wrong

Carpet approved from a dry showroom sample can curl or separate after wetting. A backing substitution can change adhesion, drying and odour. Rolls from different dye batches can make visible joins, while cut pieces can obstruct hatch movement or leave exposed edges.

Treat claims such as marine grade, waterproof and non-slip as specifications to verify. Agree exposure and wet-use checks, keep an approved sample, and record the backing and adhesive combination. A fire report for another construction gives the buyer no evidence about the supplied assembly.

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.