Sourcing women's woven denim jeans from China

Duty on women's woven denim jeans

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 6204 covers women's and girls' clothing including trousers. The supplied cotton denim line, 6204 62 31 90, carries 12% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension recorded. The neighbouring trouser lines shown also carry 12%; they are classification comparisons, rather than interchangeable codes for ordinary jeans.

The shown lines attach cat and dog fur and seal-product import controls. Imports of cat and dog fur products are banned. Seal products brought into Great Britain for sale must qualify under the Inuit and other indigenous communities exemption and have a seal catch certificate. For jeans sourced from China, identify any animal-derived patches or trims and confirm the applicable documents with your customs broker before shipment.

Confirm the commodity code using the woven construction, fibre composition and intended use. Give your broker the fabric specification and a finished sample, particularly for stretch blends or occupational trousers. For related denim sourcing, see men's denim jeans.

Specify the fit, denim and wash finish

Agree measurement points and tolerances for waist, hips, front and back rise, thigh, inseam and leg opening. Specify the waistband shape, pocket position and depth, fly construction and size grading. Approve the fit after the intended garment wash, with sitting and bending checks as well as standing measurements.

Define fibre composition, woven construction, fabric weight, stretch direction and recovery, wash shade, fading placement and distressing. Keep approved fabric swatches and a finished wash sample. Specify zip, button, rivets, belt-loop attachment and patch material. Fibre content must be labelled. Agree care instructions that match the tested washing behaviour.

Before placing these consumer garments on the Great Britain market, the importer must ensure they are safe under normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Include sharp rivet backs, exposed zip edges and loose metal trims in the product checks. Agree appropriate material and finished-garment testing through testing and certification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 500 pairs of women's woven cotton denim jeans; FOB and freight are illustrative under 6204 62 31 90, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,800. Duty at 12% is £816. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,616, so it is £1,523.20. Import taxes total £2,339.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £816 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fit: measure supplied sizes against the approved chart after the agreed wash; check waistband gaping, rise balance, pocket symmetry and leg twisting.

Denim and finish: compare shade and fading with the approved sample; check shrinkage, colour transfer and stretch recovery, including bagging at the knees and seat.

Construction: exercise the zip and button, inspect rivet backs, and check crotch seams, pocket corners and belt loops for weak stitching or loose attachments.

Labels and arrival condition: match fibre labels to material records, check size identification, and unpack cartons for dampness, staining and trim damage. Use the quality inspection guide to agree acceptance checks.

What goes wrong

A sample may fit while production changes the rise, waistband curve or stretch recovery. Washing can shorten the inseam, twist the legs or create shade differences between batches. Approve the finished wash and check production garments against it, rather than accepting measurements taken before washing.

Heavy distressing can weaken the fabric around tears and pocket edges. Rough rivet backs can scratch skin, weak belt loops can pull away, and wet packing can stain the denim. Record the agreed construction and wash process so the factory cannot substitute fabric or finishing without review.

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.