Sourcing women's woven wool capes from China

Duty and classification for woven wool capes

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 6202 covers women's or girls' capes and related outerwear. The wool lines distinguish hand-made wool capes from other capes, hand-made ponchos and other outerwear. The comparison rows help distinguish neighbouring styles; they are not interchangeable codes for the same cape. For anorak sourcing, see women's woven anoraks.

The relevant wool lines carry 12% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension listed. The tariff attaches cat and dog fur import and export controls and a seal-product import control. Cat and dog fur products cannot be imported or exported. Seal products for sale in Great Britain must qualify under the Inuit and other indigenous communities exemption. For a Chinese cape containing seal material, confirm eligibility and documents with your customs broker before ordering.

Give your broker the fabric composition, construction photographs and details of any hand work, then confirm the commodity code. See the woven trench coats guide for wider heading coverage.

Specify the wool fabric and cape drape

Specify the shell fibre composition, fabric weight, weave, surface finish, colour and lining separately. Agree shoulder width, front and back length, neck opening, arm openings and hem sweep against an approved sample. Describe how the cape should hang when fastened and when worn over clothing.

Define collar shape, pocket placement, closure type, reinforcement and edge finishing. Ask for production-fabric samples to assess pilling, colour transfer and dimensional change after the proposed care process. Use a durable, legible fibre-composition label; for leather tabs or fur trims, confirm any animal-origin statement requirements with the relevant authority before relying on our published outerwear guidance.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 500 women's woven wool capes, illustrative order under 6202 20 00 19, invoiced at £33,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £33,800. Duty at 12% is £4,056. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £37,856, so it is £7,571.20. Import taxes total £11,627.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £4,056 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fabric: compare fibre-test results, shade, surface finish and handle with the approved specification; check for uneven brushing, loose fibres and visible weave faults.

Drape and measurements: measure each sampled size and check shoulder balance, hem level, arm access and movement with the cape fastened.

Edges and closures: inspect binding, lining attachment and pocket seams; operate fasteners and check reinforcement for pulling or distortion.

Labels and packing: match composition labels to the materials, verify trim identity and inspect arriving cartons for moisture, odour and crushed folds. Agree these checks in the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A cape can match the flat measurements yet hang unevenly because fabric stiffness, shoulder shaping or lining tension differs from the approved sample. Inspect it on a wearer as well as on a table. Check for a twisting hem, restricted arm movement and closures that pull the front out of shape.

Watch for substituted wool blends, early pilling, dark fabric transferring colour to a light lining, and distortion after cleaning. Retain the approved fabric and finished sample, and compare production garments after the agreed care process before releasing the shipment.

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.