Sourcing Women's Woven Western Shirts from China

A flat 12% duty on woven western shirts

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 6206 covers women's or girls' blouses, shirts and shirt-blouses. Women's woven western shirts fall within this product family. All listed lines carry 12% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no duty suspension recorded.

The tariff attaches CITES import and export controls to 6206 20 00 00 and 6206 90 90 00. A China order containing a CITES specimen needs a permit for import into Great Britain. Ask your customs broker to confirm the species-specific documents and the attached controls before shipment.

Confirm fibre composition and garment construction through the commodity code guide. Pointed yokes and snaps describe the design; they do not identify the fibre line. For related fabrics and the wider heading context, see women's woven denim shirts.

Specify the yokes, snaps and embroidery

Provide drawings for the pointed front and back yokes, pocket flaps, collar, cuffs and shaped hem. State whether the shirt is fitted or relaxed, with a size chart and measurement tolerances. Specify fabric composition, weave, weight, finish and approved colour, plus piping, embroidery artwork and placement.

Approve snap appearance, opening force and attachment on the actual bulk fabric. Agree reinforcement behind snaps and embroidery backing that does not scratch the wearer. Fibre labels must show composition, including fur and other animal parts. Consumer products sold in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use; check sharp snap edges and loose decorative parts.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 1,000 women's woven cotton western shirts; illustrative order, not a quotation under 6206 30 00 90, invoiced at £4,000 free on board, with £600 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,600. Duty at 12% is £552. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,152, so it is £1,030.40. Import taxes total £1,582.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £552 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Shape and fit: measure chest, waist, sleeve and garment length across sizes; check that yoke points, pocket flaps and piping match the approved sample and sit symmetrically.

Snaps and seams: open and close placket and cuff snaps, check attachment at the agreed pull load, and examine surrounding fabric for tearing, puckering and exposed sharp edges.

Fabric and decoration: wash samples using the proposed care instructions; check shrinkage, twisting, colour bleeding onto piping, embroidery puckering and seam slippage.

Labels and packing: compare fibre labels with fabric test results, match size labels to measurements, and check colour and size assortment against the packing list. Use the inspection guide to prepare the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A western shirt can match the photograph but fail in wear. Snaps tear out of thin fabric, pointed yokes sit unevenly, and a fitted chest pulls the placket open. Approve a worn fit sample and test snap reinforcement before bulk production.

Contrast piping can pick up dye during washing, while dense embroidery can distort the yoke or leave rough backing against the skin. Compare washed samples with the approved garment and record acceptable changes before placing the order.

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.