Sourcing wool polishing felt from China

A flat 6% duty on polishing felt material

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 5602 covers felt, whether or not impregnated, coated, covered or laminated. Wool polishing felt sheets and rolls should be classified by their construction and treatment. Every line in the supplied snapshot carries 6% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.

The uncoated other wool-felt line carries a CITES import control. Obtain the fibre species declaration and ask your customs broker to confirm whether permits are required for the Chinese shipment. Permit-controlled CITES species need the relevant permission. Uncoated needleloom felt of other textile materials and other coated felt carry cat and dog fur controls; products containing that fur cannot be imported.

Confirm the commodity code using the fibre composition, manufacturing method, treatment and supplied form. This table concerns felt material; ask for a separate classification assessment for finished polishing wheels or mounted tools. See the wider felt and felt sheets guide for other uses.

Specify the felt for your polishing process

State the wool content, any blended fibres, animal species, manufacturing method, thickness, density, sheet dimensions or roll width, and tolerances. Describe the surface to be polished, compound used and intended finish. Record whether the felt is untreated, impregnated or backed, and whether it will be cut into polishing components.

Approve a sample through a polishing trial on your own workpiece. Compare compound uptake, compression, fibre shedding and surface finish. Keep the approved sample for batch comparisons. If selling the felt as a consumer product in Great Britain, it must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of wool polishing felt sheets for a workshop supplier under 5602 21 00 00, invoiced at £14,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £15,500. Duty at 6% is £930. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £16,430, so it is £3,286. Import taxes total £4,216; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £930 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Composition: check the batch fibre declaration against the order and obtain fibre testing where the wool-content claim matters.

Thickness and density: measure across the sheet or roll, weigh comparable samples and check for hard patches, thin areas and uneven compression.

Polishing trial: use the agreed compound and workpiece; check scratching, lint, compound uptake and consistency against the approved sample.

Condition and packing: inspect for grit, oily marks, odour, dampness and crushed edges; check wrapping and batch identification on arrival.

What goes wrong

A wool blend substituted for the approved material can change compound uptake and polishing behaviour. Uneven density gives inconsistent contact, while grit or hard inclusions can mark the workpiece. A thickness check alone will not reveal these problems.

Specify acceptable shedding and finish through the trial sample rather than relying on a supplier's hardness description. Inspect material from different parts of the batch before cutting it into components. Arrange quality inspection around these checks.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.