Sourcing women's knitted blazers from China

UK duty on women's knitted blazers

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6104 covers women's or girls' knitted or crocheted garments, including jackets and blazers. The blazer lines cover wool or fine animal hair, cotton, synthetic fibres, artificial fibres and other textile materials. All listed blazer lines carry 12% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measures or suspensions listed.

The tariff attaches cat and dog fur and seal-product import controls to these lines, with CITES import controls on the wool or fine animal hair and other-material lines. Cat and dog fur products are banned from import and export. For seal products, the traditional Inuit or indigenous hunt exemption requires a seal catch attestation. Ask your customs broker to confirm eligibility and documents before ordering animal-derived trims.

The tariff also lists animal-material export controls on relevant lines. If CITES-listed materials are proposed, confirm the applicable import or export permit requirements before shipment. Confirm the commodity code from the garment's construction and fibre specification. Woven blazers need separate classification. For men's styles, see men's knitted blazers.

Specify the knit, lapels and fit

Specify the shell fibre composition, knit structure, fabric weight, stretch and recovery, lining, interfacing and shoulder support. Approve how the lapels roll, how the front hangs when buttoned and how the pockets sit. Match the lining's movement to the shell so it does not pull across the back or sleeves.

Approve a fit sample and a size set against a written graded measurement chart. Include bust, shoulder width, sleeve length, upper-arm room and back length, with agreed tolerances. Test production fabric for shrinkage, twisting, pilling and colour transfer using the intended care method.

For sale in Great Britain, the label must show fibre content, including fur and other animal parts. Agree the composition wording, care instructions and size labels before production. Consumer products must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use; check button security, sharp trim edges and garment finishing.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 500 women's cotton knitted blazers, illustrative order under 6104 32 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 12% is £2,304. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £21,504, so it is £4,300.80. Import taxes total £6,604.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,304 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fit: measure sampled blazers across the size range, then check buttoned fit, sleeve movement and lining tension against the approved sample.

Shape: check lapel symmetry, collar position, shoulder balance, pocket alignment and whether interfacing bubbles after the agreed care treatment.

Fabric: compare weight, shade and handle with the approved fabric; check recovery, pilling, shrinkage and seam twisting on production pieces.

Trims and labels: check button attachment, buttonholes, lining seams and composition wording against the fabric evidence. Repeat arrival checks after unpacking; use the inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

A blazer can match the sample measurements yet hang badly because the knit stretches under the lining or interfacing. Lapels curl, pocket mouths sag, shoulders collapse and sleeve seams twist after care. Different dye batches can also produce shade or recovery differences.

Approve a production sample using the actual shell, lining and interfacing together. Record permitted substitutions and care-test results before cutting bulk fabric. On arrival, separate affected styles or batches and photograph faults against the approved sample before agreeing repairs or replacements.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.