Sourcing uncarded yak hair from China

Duty and treatment status

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 9 November 2026, heading 5102 covers animal hair that has not been carded or combed. Yak hair falls under 5102 19 40 00, alongside certain other animal fibres. The table shows buying descriptions under this shared code. Goods from China carry 0% duty, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension recorded.

The tariff attaches veterinary control. Qualifying treated hair can come from China without a health certificate or veterinary checks; ask APHA to confirm the commercial document requirements, including details of the parties, origin, quantity, species and treatment. Untreated hair has separate conditions, including an approved exporting establishment. Ask your customs broker and APHA to confirm the route, country eligibility, documents and destination before shipping untreated Chinese hair.

The tariff also attaches CITES import and export controls. Permits are required for listed species; ask your broker to confirm applicability to the documented species and source. Confirm the processing stage using finding your commodity code. Carded or combed hair belongs elsewhere. See the cashmere and animal hair guide for the wider heading.

Specify yak fibre and its processing history

Specify yak fibre identity, natural or dyed colour, mean fibre diameter, diameter variation, length, short-fibre content, residual guard hair and vegetable matter. Agree whether the lot is unwashed, factory-washed or dehaired, and confirm that it remains uncarded and uncombed. Approve a representative sample and agree how moisture and clean content affect the invoiced weight.

Request treatment records linked to the actual bale marks, rather than a general statement that the supplier washes fibre. Keep species and origin records with the lot. If the fibre becomes garments, confirm the applicable textile labelling requirements, fibre names and percentage composition with Trading Standards; agree blend descriptions before ordering.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 tonnes of factory-washed yak hair, not carded or combed under 5102 19 40 00, invoiced at £50,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £51,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £51,800, so it is £10,360. 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 for laboratory fibre identification and check for sheep's wool or other undeclared fibres.

Fineness and length: compare measured diameter, variation and length with the agreed specification; check residual guard hair against the approved sample.

Weight and condition: check bale weights, moisture, clean content, colour variation, vegetable matter, damp patches and damaged wrapping.

Traceability: match bale marks to the packing list, test report and treatment document; retain labelled samples. Use quality inspection explained to agree the inspection scope.

What goes wrong

A soft hand sample can conceal coarse guard hair or a blend elsewhere in the lot. Uneven colour and short fibres can disrupt spinning, while excess moisture increases paid weight. Sample across bales and agree laboratory checks before accepting the shipment.

Dehairing and veterinary treatment describe different aspects of processing. A dehaired lot still needs its treatment status established. Vague washing records can leave the import route unresolved, so settle the paperwork before loading rather than relying on the duty-free tariff rate.

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.