Sourcing women's dresses and knitwear from China
Knitted women's dresses, skirts, trousers and jackets from China pay 12% UK duty whatever the fibre, with no anti-dumping duty. Every garment needs a fibre composition label under the retained textile regulation, and fit, shrinkage and fabric minimums decide whether a range works. Cambridge China Bridge sources own-label womenswear from sampling to shipment.
Knitted dresses, skirts, trousers and jackets pay 12% UK duty from China. The fibre label, fit and grading, shrinkage and fabric minimums to plan.
12% across the knitted range
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, knitted women's dresses of cotton, synthetic or artificial fibres, and knitted skirts, trousers and jackets of synthetic fibres, all carried 12% duty on goods from China. None carried an anti-dumping measure.
Knitted and woven garments sit in different chapters of the tariff: a jersey dress is in chapter 61, a woven one in chapter 62. The fabric construction, not the style, decides the code, so confirm the commodity code for each style against the fabric specification, and price the landed cost with the duty included.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knitted dresses of cotton | 6104 42 00 00 | 12% | None |
| Knitted dresses of synthetic fibres | 6104 43 00 00 | 12% | None |
| Knitted dresses of artificial fibres (for example viscose) | 6104 44 00 00 | 12% | None |
| Knitted jackets and blazers of synthetic fibres | 6104 33 00 00 | 12% | None |
| Knitted skirts of synthetic fibres | 6104 53 00 00 | 12% | None |
| Knitted trousers of synthetic fibres | 6104 63 00 00 | 12% | None |
The fibre label
Article 14 of Regulation 1007/2011, as it applies in Great Britain, requires textile products to be labelled or marked with their fibre composition whenever they are made available on the market, and the label must be durable, easily legible, visible and accessible, and securely attached if it is a label. Put the composition in the trim specification, and check it against the fabric test at inspection.
Retailers also expect care instructions and size labelling in their own format, so agree the full label set, sewn-in and swing tag, before production; the labels and swing tags guide covers the options.
Fit, grading and shrinkage
Most womenswear problems are fit problems. Approve a fit sample on a model or form in your base size, then a size set across the range, and give the factory a written grade rule, how each measurement changes between sizes, rather than leaving the grading to its pattern maker.
Knitted fabrics move after washing. Ask for a shrinkage and twist test on the bulk fabric before cutting, and colourfastness tests for dark and printed fabrics, because a dress that shrinks a size in its first wash comes back.
Minimums and timing
The minimum order usually comes from the fabric, not the sewing line: a mill dyes by the batch, so each colour has its own minimum, and a printed fabric adds a print minimum. Stock fabrics lower the minimum; own colours and prints raise it. The MOQ and sampling guide covers how to negotiate the first order.
Retailers and brands increasingly ask for an ethical audit of the sewing factory; see ethical audits. Cambridge China Bridge sources own-label womenswear, from fit sampling and grading to fabric testing and inspection before shipment. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on dresses from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, knitted women's dresses of cotton, synthetic or artificial fibres carried 12% duty from China, with no anti-dumping duty. Woven dresses are classified in chapter 62, so confirm the code.
Does womenswear need a fibre label in the UK?
Yes. Article 14 of Regulation 1007/2011, as it applies in Great Britain, requires fibre composition on a durable, easily legible label or marking.
How do I stop sizing problems with a Chinese factory?
Approve a fit sample and a size set, and give the factory a written grade rule for how each measurement changes between sizes.
Why is the minimum order set per colour?
Mills dye fabric by the batch, so each colour has its own fabric minimum. Stock fabrics lower it; own colours and prints raise it.