Sourcing uncarded angora rabbit hair from China

Duty and treatment status

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 9 November 2026, uncarded angora rabbit hair under 5102 19 10 00 carries 0% duty from China. No anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension is recorded for this line. Heading 5102 covers fine or coarse animal hair that has not been carded or combed; the table shows its dedicated angora rabbit line.

The tariff attaches veterinary control. Qualifying treated hair can come from any country, including China, without a health certificate or veterinary checks. Ask APHA to confirm whether a commercial document is needed and what it should record, including consignor, consignee, origin, quantity, species and treatment. Untreated hair must originate from an establishment approved to export to Great Britain. Before buying untreated Chinese hair, ask your customs broker and APHA to confirm country eligibility, safeguards, documents and the intended destination.

Washing and carding describe different processing steps. Carded or combed hair belongs in heading 5105. Give your broker the species, processing history and sample description to confirm the commodity code. See the cashmere and animal hair guide for the wider heading.

Specify rabbit fibre and its processing history

Specify angora rabbit hair rather than angora goat hair. Agree whether the lot is clipped or otherwise collected, its colour, fibre diameter, length distribution, short-fibre content, residual guard hair and foreign matter. State whether any other fibre is permitted. Approve a representative lot sample and retain it for comparison.

Ask for the washing or treatment record separately from confirmation that the fibre is uncarded. Record the agreed moisture and weight basis, bale identification and packaging. Trial the sample in your spinning or blending process before accepting the bulk lot. For textile products sold in Great Britain, labels must show fibre content; composition claims should match the tested material.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small trial lot of uncarded angora rabbit hair under 5102 19 10 00, invoiced at £3,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £4,800, so it is £960. 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

Identity: sample across the lot and arrange laboratory fibre identification to check for sheep wool, synthetic fibre or other animal hair.

Length and cleanliness: compare fibre length, short fibres, guard hair, tangled clumps and vegetable matter with the approved sample.

Moisture and packing: check bale weights and marks against the packing list; inspect for dampness, musty odour, staining and torn wrapping.

Treatment records: match the species, lot identification and treatment description to the shipment documents. Resolve missing information before dispatch.

What goes wrong

A soft hand feel does not establish fibre identity. Angora rabbit lots can contain undeclared blends, excessive short fibres or coarse guard hair. Colour and length can vary between bales, and moisture can distort the delivered weight. Test representative samples and agree how a failed lot will be handled.

A supplier may describe hair as clean without explaining its treatment. Uncarded does not mean untreated, and a treatment claim needs supporting records. Establish the import route before shipping rather than trying to resolve veterinary paperwork after arrival.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.