Waterproof changing robes from China

12% as a coat

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, overcoats, raincoats, capes, cloaks and similar garments of man-made fibres carried 12% duty on goods from China in both the men's and women's headings, with no anti-dumping measure. The tariff splits these lines at 1 kg per garment, but both weights were 12%.

Under the chapter 62 notes, a garment that cannot be identified as men's or women's is classified in the women's heading, so a unisex robe is normally declared under 6202 40. Towelling changing ponchos without a waterproof shell are a different product and may be classified differently, so confirm the commodity code for each style. Our coats and jackets guide covers wider outerwear.

Specification and labelling

Specify the shell by fabric and coating, with hydrostatic head tested to ISO 811 before and after washing, breathability to ISO 11092 if you claim it, and fully taped seams; the lining by fibre and weight, with pilling tested to ISO 12945-2; and the two-way zip, pockets and hood. Colour fastness to light to ISO 105-B02 matters for robes left in the sun, and salt water resistance of zips and poppers should be checked by soaking samples.

Fibre composition must be labelled under the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012. Children's robes must meet BS EN 14682 on cords and drawstrings, so hood toggles on small sizes need care, and the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 cover the rest.

Worked duty example

For a made-up shipment of 1,500 fleece-lined waterproof changing robes under 6202 40 90 19, add the £4,500 of freight and insurance to the £33,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £37,500. At 12%, duty on these changing robes is £4,500; import VAT of £8,400 is 20% of the value with duty added. Together that is £12,900, but a VAT-registered importer usually gets the VAT back. Robes weighing 1 kg or less fall under 6202 40 10 19 at the same 12%, so weight changes the code but not the duty. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.

What goes wrong

Changing robes fail at the seams and the lining. Seams leak because the tape lifts after washing, the coating peels, sherpa or fleece lining pills and sheds after a few weeks, zips corrode or split after sea swims, and sizing runs small so robes do not fit over a wetsuit. Colours fade in sun, and logo embroidery puckers the shell.

Test hydrostatic head and seam taping after five or more washes on production samples, check lining pilling, soak zips and poppers in salt water, measure garments against a size chart designed for wear over a wetsuit, test colour fastness to light, and check embroidery tension on the coated fabric.

Cambridge China Bridge sources changing robes and outdoor garments for surf, swim and outdoor brands, with waterproof and wash tests agreed before production. Find out how we source outdoor clothing.