Sourcing warp-knit fabrics from China
Warp-knit fabrics from China, such as tricot linings, raschel mesh, brushed tricot and spacer fabric wider than 30 cm, pay 8% UK duty with no anti-dumping duty; one listed weft-inserted polyester fabric is suspended to 0% until the end of 2026. Fabric with 5% or more elastane goes to heading 6004. Cambridge China Bridge sources warp-knit fabrics.
Warp-knit fabrics from China, including tricot, raschel mesh and spacer fabric, pay 8% UK duty. Width, shade and snagging checks, and a worked example.
A flat 8%
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, warp-knit fabrics of heading 6005, including those made on galloon knitting machines, carried 8% on goods from China on all fifteen lines, whether of cotton, synthetic, artificial or other fibres, and whether unbleached, dyed, yarn-dyed or printed. No line had an anti-dumping measure.
One suspension applies: under 6005 36 00 00, a listed weft-inserted warp-knitted polyester fabric 1.5 m to 1.65 m wide is suspended to 0% until 31 December 2026, claimed with document code 9Y12. Heading 6005 also has a separate line, 6005 35 00 00, for the insecticide-treated mosquito net fabrics defined in subheading note 1 to chapter 60.
Knitted fabric 30 cm wide or less is in heading 6003, fabric wider than 30 cm with 5% or more elastane or rubber thread is in 6004, and warp-knit pile fabrics such as velboa are in 6001; see our knitted fabrics guide and fleece and pile fabrics guide. Confirm the commodity code from the construction and fibre content.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warp-knit fabric of cotton, dyed | 6005 22 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Listed weft-inserted polyester fabric, 1.5 m to 1.65 m wide | 6005 36 00 00 | 0% to 31 Dec 2026 (standard 8%) | None |
| Other synthetic warp-knit fabric, unbleached or bleached | 6005 36 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Synthetic warp-knit fabric, dyed (tricot, mesh) | 6005 37 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Synthetic warp-knit fabric, printed | 6005 39 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Artificial fibre (viscose) warp-knit fabric, dyed | 6005 42 00 00 | 8% | None |
Labels and chemicals
When fabric is sold to consumers by the metre, the [Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1102/contents) require the fibre composition in the listed fibre names. For fabric bought to make garments, the maker labels the garment, but that label comes from the mill's composition, so test it.
Entry 43 of [Annex XVII of UK REACH](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2006/1907/annex/XVII) restricts azo dyes that can release listed aromatic amines in textiles in prolonged skin contact, so ask for a test on each dyed or printed quality used for linings, lingerie or sportswear. See UK REACH for importers.
Specifying warp knits
Warp knits are chosen because they do not ladder and hold their shape: tricot for linings, lingerie and brushed loop fabric, raschel for mesh, lace and netting, and double-needle-bar raschel for 3D spacer fabric in seat covers, shoe uppers and mattress borders. Specify the construction, yarn count and filament, mass per square metre, usable width after finishing, stretch in each direction, finish such as brushing or wicking, and the colour standard.
Fabric for car interiors is usually tested for burning rate to ISO 3795 or the car maker's own standard, so name the standard in the order if that is the end use.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 30,000 m of dyed polyester tricot in rolls, commodity code 6005 37 00 00, bought for £21,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance, so £22,800 is the value customs works from. Duty at the 8% rate for dyed tricot is £1,824. VAT at 20% applies to £24,624, so £4,924.80. A VAT-registered buyer usually recovers the VAT, so the border adds £1,824 to the landed cost. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.
Inspection checklist
Weight and width: measure mass per unit area to BS EN 12127 and usable width to ISO 22198 across several rolls, and compare with the order, because warp knits lose width and gain weight if heat setting is not controlled.
Strength and wear: test bursting strength to ISO 13938-2, pilling to ISO 12945-2 on brushed tricot, and snagging on open meshes, and wash to ISO 6330 then measure dimensional change to ISO 5077.
Colour: check shade roll to roll and against the approved lab dip in a light box, test colour fastness to washing to ISO 105-C06 and to rubbing to ISO 105-X12, and grade faults such as dropped needles or broken ends on the inspection frame.
What goes wrong
Warp knits fail on width, shade and surface. Rolls come in narrower than ordered so cutting plans waste fabric, shade shifts between dye lots or across the width, brushed tricot pills, open mesh snags, edges curl, and a needle line runs down the length of the roll.
Keep a signed sample and lab dip, measure width and weight on arrival, and ask for a four-point or agreed inspection on rolls before loading. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources warp-knit fabrics for garment, lingerie, sportswear, footwear and upholstery makers, and has no minimum order of its own; the mill's minimum per colour applies. See small orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on tricot fabric from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, warp-knit fabrics of heading 6005 carried 8% from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
Is stretch mesh with elastane in the same code?
No. Knitted fabric wider than 30 cm with 5% or more elastane or rubber thread is in heading 6004.
Can I order one colour in a small quantity?
Often, from greige stock dyed to order, but the mill sets the minimum per colour; ask before sampling.
How do I check the fabric before shipping?
Measure width and weight, check shade against the lab dip, and inspect rolls for needle lines and holes.