Sourcing women's knitted tennis skirts from China

Duty on knitted tennis skirts

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the skirt and divided-skirt lines within heading 6104 all carried 12% duty for goods from China. The supplied record shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension on these lines. Synthetic-fibre skirts are listed under 6104 53 00 00; cotton, wool or fine animal hair, and other textile materials have separate lines.

The tariff attaches cat and dog fur import and export controls and seal-product import controls. Cat and dog fur products are prohibited. Seal products face strict exceptions, with a seal catch attestation required for the traditional-hunt exemption. Wool and other-material skirt lines also attach CITES import and export controls: confirm species and documents with your customs broker before ordering any animal-derived material.

Confirm the commodity code against fabric construction, fibre composition and the complete garment, especially where shorts are attached. Do not classify from the name 'tennis skirt' alone. For the wider heading and related shorts, see women's knitted cycling shorts. For pencil-skirt styles, see our women's knitted pencil skirts guide. For blazer styles, see our women's knitted blazers sourcing guide. For A-line styles, see our guide to women's knitted A-line skirts.

Specify coverage, waistband and attached shorts

Give the factory a measurement chart covering relaxed and stretched waist, skirt length, hem width and waistband depth. Specify knit construction, fibre blend, fabric weight, opacity when stretched, pleat shape and stretch recovery. Approve a size set and written grading rules rather than accepting a generic sportswear size chart.

For attached shorts, specify rise, inseam, leg opening, gusset shape and how the shorts join the waistband. Try the sample while bending, lunging and serving; check that the skirt covers as intended and the shorts do not ride up. State which side holds the ball pocket and test access with a tennis ball.

For sale in Great Britain, the label must show fibre content. If components have different fibre contents, each component's content must be shown. Agree the wording for the outer skirt and attached shorts before production, alongside the buyer's care instructions and size labels.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2,000 women's knitted polyester tennis skirts under 6104 53 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 production garments across sizes against the approved chart; check waistband pressure, skirt coverage and shorts movement.

Fabric: compare weight and shade with the approved sample; check stretched opacity, recovery, pilling and colour transfer from perspiration.

Construction: stretch waistband joins and crotch seams; check skipped stitches, rough seam allowances, pleat symmetry and ball-pocket security.

Wash and labels: wash production samples for shrinkage, twisting and pleat loss; compare fibre labels with the approved material specification. Use a written inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A skirt can look correct on a hanger but become see-through when stretched, lift during movement or pull upwards because the attached shorts are too short. Waist elastic may roll, pocket openings may release the ball, and bulky crotch seams can rub. Record movement checks on the approved sample and repeat them on production garments.

Substituted fabric can change recovery, opacity and fit even when the colour looks right. Keep an approved fabric sample, identify production batches and compare washed garments with the approved size chart. Hold discrepant stock for investigation before releasing it for sale.

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.