Sourcing viscose and rayon fabrics from China
Woven fabrics of artificial staple fibre from China, such as viscose challis and crepe, modal, lyocell and their blends with cotton, wool or filament, pay 8% UK duty on all 21 lines, with no anti-dumping duty. Viscose loses strength when wet and shrinks, so wash tests matter, and fabric sold as bamboo is usually viscose. Cambridge China Bridge sources viscose fabrics.
Viscose, rayon, modal and lyocell woven fabrics and their blends from China pay 8% UK duty. Shrinkage, seam slippage, fibre labels and a worked example.
A flat 8%
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres, heading 5516, carried 8% on goods from China on all twenty-one lines, with no anti-dumping measure and no suspension. The heading is split by blend: 85% or more artificial staple (5516 1x), mixed with man-made filament (5516 2x), with wool (5516 3x), with cotton (5516 4x) and other (5516 9x), then by unbleached, dyed, yarn-dyed or printed.
Viscose, modal and lyocell are artificial fibres made from wood or other cellulose pulp. Fabric woven from continuous viscose filament is in heading 5408, and blends where synthetic staple predominates are in our polyester-viscose fabrics guide. Confirm the commodity code from a fibre test.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85% or more artificial staple, dyed | 5516 12 00 00 | 8% | None |
| 85% or more artificial staple, printed | 5516 14 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Mixed with man-made filament, jacquard mattress ticking 140 cm or wider | 5516 23 10 00 | 8% | None |
| Mixed with wool or fine animal hair, dyed | 5516 32 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Mixed with cotton, dyed | 5516 42 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Other blends, printed | 5516 94 00 00 | 8% | None |
Fibre names and chemicals
The [Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1102/contents) require the listed fibre names, such as viscose, modal and lyocell. Fabric marketed as bamboo is usually viscose made from bamboo pulp, so the fibre composition must still read viscose, and any bamboo or eco claim has to be supportable.
Entry 43 of [Annex XVII of UK REACH](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2006/1907/annex/XVII) restricts azo dyes that release listed aromatic amines in textiles in skin contact, so ask for a test per dyed or printed quality. See UK REACH for importers.
Specifying viscose
Viscose is bought for drape and a cool, soft handle in dresses, blouses, linings and scarves, while lyocell and modal are stronger and shrink less. Specify the fibre and blend, yarn count, weave, mass per square metre, usable width, pre-shrinking or finishing, the shade or print reference, and the care label the finished garment will carry.
Printed rayon is often bought from stock designs with minimums per colourway; own prints need screens or a digital print run, so agree the strike-off before bulk.
Worked duty example
For a made-up shipment of 15,000 m of dyed viscose challis under 5516 12 00 00, add the £1,200 of freight and insurance to the £18,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £19,200. At 8%, duty on these viscose fabric is £1,536; import VAT of £4,147.20 is 20% of the value with duty added. Together that is £5,683.20, but a VAT-registered importer usually gets the VAT back. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
Inspection checklist
Shrinkage and care: wash samples to ISO 6330 by the garment's care label and measure dimensional change to ISO 5077 in warp and weft, since viscose that has not been pre-shrunk can move several per cent.
Strength and seams: test tear strength to ISO 13937-2 and seam slippage to ISO 13936-1, because viscose loses strength when wet and loose weaves pull apart at seams.
Colour and blend: test colour fastness to washing to ISO 105-C06 and rubbing to ISO 105-X12, check fibre content by the relevant part of ISO 1833, and check print registration and shade against the strike-off.
What goes wrong
Viscose fails on shrinkage, seams and colour. Garments shrink a size in the first wash, seams slip and split in loose crepes, dark colours bleed and fade after a few washes, prints come in off-register or a shade away from the strike-off, and fabric sold as bamboo or modal tests as ordinary viscose.
Wash-test before cutting, check seam slippage on the actual garment seam, and keep a signed strike-off and shade standard. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources viscose, modal and lyocell fabrics for dressmakers, fashion brands and fabric shops, and has no minimum order of its own; the mill's minimum per colourway applies. See small orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on viscose fabric from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, woven fabrics of artificial staple fibre (heading 5516) carried 8% from China.
Can bamboo fabric be labelled as bamboo?
If it is viscose made from bamboo pulp, the fibre composition must use the listed name viscose.
Why does viscose shrink?
The fibre swells when wet; ask for pre-shrunk fabric and wash-test to ISO 6330 and ISO 5077.
Can I order a small quantity of printed rayon?
Often from stock prints; own designs need a strike-off and meet the mill's minimum per colourway.