Sourcing viscose crepe fabric from China

A flat 8% duty on staple-fibre crepe

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 November 2026, heading 5516 covers woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres. The recorded duty for goods from China is a flat 8%, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no tariff suspension recorded. This guide covers viscose crepe made from staple yarn; continuous viscose filament fabric belongs in heading 5408.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches CITES import and export controls to some lines, including the high artificial-staple-content lines. CITES specimens require an import permit. For a shipment from China, ask your customs broker to confirm whether the fabric's actual materials trigger the control and what documentation is required; the tariff flag alone does not establish that your crepe needs a permit.

Confirm the fibre percentages, staple or filament construction, and whether the cloth is dyed, yarn-dyed or printed before choosing the commodity code. Crepe texture alone does not determine the line. See the viscose and rayon fabrics guide for the wider heading.

Specify the crepe texture and washed behaviour

Specify the fibre blend, yarn count, weave, mass per square metre, usable width and finish. Keep an approved swatch showing the crepe grain, drape and opacity. State whether approval is against unwashed cloth or cloth washed according to the intended garment care instructions, and agree acceptable changes in width, length and handle.

For printed crepe, approve a strike-off on the actual fabric rather than judging the artwork alone. Record print scale, repeat, registration and shade. Fibre labelling must show the fibre content; confirm the appropriate fibre name for viscose made from bamboo pulp with the relevant authority. Confirm any applicable UK REACH restrictions on azo dyes releasing aromatic amines in skin-contact textiles with the relevant authority, and request relevant testing for dyed and printed qualities.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 15,000 metres of dyed viscose crepe; FOB and freight values are illustrative under 5516 12 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £19,200. Duty at 8% is £1,536. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £20,736, so it is £4,147.20. Import taxes total £5,683.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,536 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Texture and width: compare cloth from across each sampled roll with the approved swatch; check crepe grain, usable width, drape and uneven finishing.

Shrinkage: wash samples using the intended care instructions and measure changes along the warp and weft before releasing the cloth for cutting.

Seams and strength: check seam slippage using the intended garment seam and test tear strength; loose crepe can pull apart at seams.

Colour and rolls: check shade between rolls, washing and rubbing fastness, print registration, roll lengths and visible weaving faults. Record findings using the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A crepe that matches the sample before washing can shrink or change handle afterwards. Loose construction can slip at seams, and dark shades can bleed or rub off. Shade differences between rolls become conspicuous when garment panels are cut from different rolls.

Keep the approved fabric swatch and print strike-off, wash-test bulk samples before cutting, and group rolls by shade. Agree how short lengths, weaving faults and failed wash or seam checks will be handled 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.