Sourcing women's woven trench coats from China

Duty and garment weight

Heading 6202 covers women's or girls' overcoats, raincoats and similar outerwear. This guide focuses on women's woven trench coats. The table selects cotton and man-made fibre raincoat lines, split at 1 kg per garment. See the wider outerwear guide for coats, parkas and jackets. For wool cape sourcing, see women's woven wool capes. For anorak sourcing, see women's woven anoraks. For wrap coat sourcing, see women's woven wrap coats.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 11 October 2026, all selected lines carried 12% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions recorded. The tariff attaches cat and dog fur import and export controls and seal-product import controls. Cat and dog fur products cannot be imported or exported. Seal products cannot enter Great Britain unless an exemption applies; confirm any proposed seal trim and its documentary requirements with your customs broker before ordering.

Weigh a finished production sample and record the shell composition before confirming the commodity code. Do not select a code from the supplier's description alone. Use the import duty and VAT guide when budgeting the shipment.

Specify the shell, silhouette and trench details

Specify the woven shell's fibre composition, weave, weight, colour and finish, together with lining composition. Agree a size chart with tolerances for chest, shoulder, sleeve, waist and coat length. Approve the lapel shape, storm flap, back vent, belt length, belt loops, buckle and button positions on a finished sample.

For sale in Great Britain, the label must show fibre content, including fur and other animal parts. Consult the wider outerwear guide and confirm with the relevant authority whether leather tabs or other non-textile animal parts need an additional animal-origin statement. Agree care instructions against sample wash results. If selling the trench as waterproof, ask for fabric and finished-seam tests rather than relying on a water-repellent finish.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 women's cotton woven trench coats under 6202 30 10 19, invoiced at £33,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £36,000. Duty at 12% is £4,320. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £40,320, so it is £8,064. Import taxes total £12,384; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £4,320 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fit: measure production garments across the ordered sizes, with the coat buttoned and the belt fastened; check sleeve movement and vent opening.

Construction: check lapel symmetry, storm-flap alignment, seam puckering, lining ease, pocket attachment and loose threads.

Trims: pull-test buttons and belt loops, operate buckles and check that buttonholes fit the supplied buttons without fraying.

Arrival: compare fibre labels and colour against the approved sample, check carton size assortments, and inspect for dampness, staining and colour transfer. Plan checks using the inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A trench can match the sample colour yet fail on fit: sleeves shorten after washing, the lining pulls across the shoulders, or the belt sits above the intended waist. Uneven lapels, twisted belts and misaligned button rows become obvious when the coat is fastened. Record these acceptance points in the purchase specification.

A water-repellent shell can still leak through seams. Test the performance you intend to describe, and repeat checks on production garments after the agreed care treatment. Hold affected stock for assessment if arrival checks reveal dampness, dye transfer or substituted trims.

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. For UK-to-China trade, see exporting coats to China.