Sourcing uncarded coarse goat hair from China

Duty and treatment status

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 5102 covers animal hair not carded or combed. Coarse goat hair falls within 5102 20 00 00, carrying 0% duty from China. The supplied tariff record shows no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension. See the wider cashmere and animal hair guide, and confirm the species and processing stage through finding your commodity code.

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 must accompany the shipment and what information it should contain. Obtain evidence of the qualifying treatment before dispatch. Uncarded describes fibre processing; it does not establish whether the hair is treated for animal-health purposes.

The same tariff line attaches CITES import and export controls and cat and dog fur import and export controls. Have your customs broker confirm the species-specific CITES requirements; listed species require the appropriate permission. Cat and dog fur, including products made from it, is banned from import and export. Ask for species identification and a declaration excluding such material.

Specify coarse goat hair by lot

Specify common-goat coarse hair, its intended use and whether it is washed, sorted or otherwise treated. Record fibre length, diameter distribution, colour, softness or stiffness, residual grease, vegetable matter and moisture acceptance criteria. Agree the test methods and retain an approved sample. Keep cashmere, mohair and other speciality fibres clearly identified rather than accepting an unspecified description of goat hair.

Agree how bale sampling represents the whole lot and whether payment follows net received weight or an agreed conditioned-weight basis. Identify each bale on the packing list. For onward textile sales, use accurate fibre names and composition rather than describing coarse goat hair as cashmere.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 tonnes of factory-washed, uncarded coarse goat hair under 5102 20 00 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 bales and compare fibre composition, colour and appearance with the approved sample; investigate mixed animal fibres or synthetic strands.

Fibre performance: check length distribution, excessive short fibres, stiffness and residual grease against the intended processing use.

Cleanliness and weight: check vegetable matter, dust, damp, mould and unusual odour; compare bale weights and moisture results with the agreed settlement basis.

Traceability: match bale marks, species, treatment records and commercial documents to the actual lot before loading and again on arrival.

What goes wrong

An attractive surface sample can hide shorter, dirtier or differently coloured hair inside the bales. Excess moisture inflates paid weight, while inconsistent length and stiffness disrupt processing. Sample inside the packed lot, retain sealed comparison samples and agree how rejected material will be handled.

A supplier's description of washed hair may lack evidence of qualifying treatment. For untreated hair from China, the tariff attaches veterinary control: ask your customs broker and APHA to confirm country eligibility, documents and border arrangements before shipment. Untreated hair must originate from an establishment approved to export to Great Britain; confirm the supplier's listing before placing the order.

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.