Wiping rags and textile scrap from China
Used or new rags, sorted or not, and scrap twine, cordage and rope of textile materials from China pay 0% UK duty on both lines of heading 6310, with no anti-dumping duty. Where rags are waste in law, shipments follow retained Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006, so confirm their status first. Absorbency and contamination decide quality.
Sorted cotton wiping rags, new textile offcuts and scrap twine and rope from China pay 0% UK duty. Waste controls, absorbency and contamination checks.
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 6310 covers used or new rags, scrap twine, cordage, rope and cables and worn-out articles of twine, cordage, rope or cables, of textile materials. Both lines, sorted (6310 10 00 00) and other (6310 90 00 00), carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Both lines also carry the waste shipment measures, which apply only where the goods are waste as defined in retained Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006. Whether a load of rags is waste depends on its source and treatment, so confirm the position with the regulator before shipping. New cloths made up as wipes or dusters are classified with made-up articles rather than as rags; see our microfibre cloths guide, and confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rags, scrap twine, cordage and rope, sorted | 6310 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Rags, scrap twine, cordage and rope, other | 6310 90 00 00 | 0% | None |
Waste status
Imports of waste into Great Britain are controlled by the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007 together with retained Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006. If your rags count as waste, the shipment needs the procedure that applies to that waste type; if they are sorted, cleaned products made for use as wipers, keep the evidence of that processing.
Specifying wiping rags
Specify fibre (cotton, cotton-rich, mixed), colour (white, light, mixed), source (new offcuts or reclaimed), piece size range, removal of buttons, zips, seams and elastic, freedom from oil and chemical contamination, washing, absorbency, and bale weight and wrapping.
Worked duty example
Take a hypothetical order of 10 tonnes of sorted white cotton wiping rags in 10 kg bales, entered under 6310 10 00 00: £9,500 free on board plus £1,800 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £11,300. Wiping rags carry no duty, so import VAT of 20% on £11,300, £2,260, is the only tax. A VAT-registered importer normally reclaims it, so the border adds no lasting cost. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.
Inspection checklist
Content: open sample bales and check fibre, colour, piece size and the share of synthetic or unusable pieces against the specification.
Contamination: check for hard items, oil, odour and damp, and for any sign the material has not been washed.
Bales: check weight, strapping and labelling.
What goes wrong
Rag orders fail on fibre mix, hard items and hygiene. Synthetic pieces that do not absorb are mixed in, buttons and zips scratch surfaces, bales are damp or smell, and the paperwork does not show whether the goods are waste.
Inspect bales before loading and settle the waste status in advance. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources wiping rags and textile scrap for UK industrial suppliers, checking the sorting and washing operation first. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on wiping rags from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, sorted rags under 6310 10 00 00 carried 0% from China.
Are rags treated as waste?
They can be. If they are waste in law, the retained waste shipment rules apply, so confirm their status first.
Are new microfibre cloths in heading 6310?
No. Made-up cleaning cloths are classified with made-up textile articles.
What makes a good wiping rag?
Absorbent cotton-rich fibre, clean washed pieces of even size, and no buttons, zips or contamination.