Sourcing velvet and corduroy from China
Velvet, velveteen, corduroy and chenille fabrics from China pay 8% UK duty with no anti-dumping duty. Fabric sold for upholstered furniture must pass the match and cigarette tests of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, and all fabric sold to consumers needs fibre composition information. Cambridge China Bridge sources pile fabrics.
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8% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, woven pile fabrics and chenille fabrics of heading 5801, whether of wool, cotton, man-made fibres, flax, silk or other textile materials, and whether uncut or cut weft pile, corduroy, chenille or warp pile such as velvet, carried 8% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Knitted velour and plush are knitted pile fabrics in heading 6001, and tufted carpets and terry towelling have their own headings, so confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton cut corduroy | 5801 22 00 90 | 8% | None |
| Cotton warp pile fabrics | 5801 27 00 90 | 8% | None |
| Man-made fibre cut corduroy | 5801 32 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Man-made fibre chenille | 5801 36 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Man-made fibre warp pile fabrics, such as velvet | 5801 37 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Of wool or fine animal hair | 5801 10 00 00 | 8% | None |
Upholstery fire rules and labelling
Cover fabric for upholstered furniture sold for domestic use within the scope of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 must meet the applicable cigarette and match resistance requirements using the tests specified in the regulations, based on BS 5852. Eligible permanent cover fabrics can use a compliant fire-resistant interliner instead of passing the match test, while other fabrics may need a flame retardant back-coating. Contract fabric for hotels and public buildings is specified to its own ignition sources, and curtains in those spaces often to BS 5867-2.
Fabric sold by the metre to consumers is a textile product, so it needs its fibre composition under the retained textile regulation. Specify pile height, weight per square metre, backing, finish and rub resistance, since upholstery buyers compare Martindale results from BS EN ISO 12947.
Worked duty example
For a made-up shipment of 20,000 metres of polyester velvet upholstery fabric under 5801 37 00 00, add the £3,000 of freight and insurance to the £50,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £53,000. At 8%, duty on these velvet is £4,240; import VAT of £11,448 is 20% of the value with duty added. Together that is £15,688, but a VAT-registered importer usually gets the VAT back. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
At 8% the duty is about 21p on each metre, whose customs value is £2.65, so on upholstery fabric the fire test and the composition label matter more to the buyer than the tariff.
What goes wrong
Pile fabrics fail on shading, pile and fire. Velvet shows crush marks and shading because the pile direction was not marked or the rolls were packed tightly, pile sheds or bald patches appear after light abrasion, and colours rub off onto clothing. Corduroy wales are uneven, fabric shrinks or distorts in cleaning, and upholstery fabric fails the match test once the flame retardant coating is thin or missing.
Check rolls for shading and crush marks with the pile direction marked on every piece, test rub resistance on a Martindale machine and colour fastness to rubbing to ISO 105-X12, check pile loss and shrinkage, ask for fire test reports on the fabric with its actual back-coating, and ship velvet on tubes or hung rather than tightly rolled.
Cambridge China Bridge sources velvet, corduroy, chenille and other pile fabrics for upholstery, fashion and furnishings, with fire, rub and colour tests agreed before shipment. See how we source fabrics. For metallic fabrics for fashion and furnishings, see our metallic thread fabrics sourcing guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on velvet fabric from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, velvet, corduroy, chenille and other woven pile fabrics of heading 5801 carried 8% duty from China.
Does upholstery velvet need fire testing?
Yes. Cover fabric for domestic upholstered furniture within the scope of the 1988 fire safety regulations must meet the applicable cigarette and match resistance requirements, but eligible permanent cover fabrics can use a compliant fire-resistant interliner instead of passing the match test.
Where does knitted velour go?
Knitted pile fabrics such as velour and plush are in heading 6001, not 5801.
How is rub resistance measured?
Upholstery buyers compare Martindale abrasion results from BS EN ISO 12947.