Sourcing woven medical scrub sets from China

Scrub duty and the cotton suspension

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6211 covers tracksuits, ski suits, swimwear and other garments. The table selects occupational clothing lines relevant to woven medical scrubs. These are classification candidates, not a blanket code for every matching top and trouser set. See woven laboratory coats for the wider heading.

The selected lines carry 12% duty for goods from China, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing duty. A 0% suspension applies under 6211 42 10 00 to qualifying loose-fit unisex hospital scrub tops and bottoms made from tightly woven cotton or cotton blend containing more than 50% cotton, without coating or treatment. The supplied tariff footnote is truncated, so confirm its complete conditions before claiming relief.

The selected lines also attach an import control on seal products. The official ban covers processed and unprocessed products derived from pinnipeds. Specify textile-only garments and ask your customs broker to confirm the attached control against the actual materials. Confirm the commodity code for each garment using its construction, fibre composition and cut, rather than the supplier's set description.

Specify the scrub top and trousers together

Define whether the order is an ordinary staff uniform or includes protective performance claims. For ordinary scrubs, specify woven construction, fibre composition, fabric weight, opacity, colour, neckline, pocket layout, side vents, waistband and drawcord design. Record any finish or treatment, especially when assessing cotton suspension eligibility. For disposable surgical gowns, see our surgical gown sourcing guide.

Approve a size chart for both garments, with measurement tolerances, trouser length and the required size breakdown. Test bending, reaching and sitting in the sample. Agree washing and drying conditions with the buyer's laundry team, then check shrinkage, colour transfer, pilling and seam strength after that process.

The fibre label must show the fibre content, including any animal parts. Check label artwork against the fabric composition report. Agree care instructions separately and retain an approved washed sample for comparison with production.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 500 men's woven man-made fibre scrub sets, illustrative only; classification to be confirmed under 6211 33 10 00, invoiced at £5,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,800. Duty at 12% is £696. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,496, so it is £1,299.20. Import taxes total £1,995.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £696 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fabric: compare bulk composition, weave, shade and opacity with the approved sample; check whether an unapproved coating or finish has been added.

Fit: measure tops and trousers across the ordered sizes; check sleeve openings, crotch comfort, trouser length and waistband recovery.

Construction: inspect pocket attachments, crotch seams, bar tacks, drawcord anchoring and loose threads; repeat checks after the agreed wash process.

Labels and packing: compare fibre labels with composition evidence, check care instructions remain readable after washing, and match each packed top and trouser size to the order. Use an agreed inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A top and trousers can match before washing but shrink differently afterwards. Dark colours can transfer onto other laundry, pale fabric can reveal underwear, and pocket corners or crotch seams can open during use. Compare washed production samples with the approved sample before accepting the batch.

A supplier may describe all cotton-blend scrubs as duty-free without checking fibre content, cut or treatment. Keep suspension eligibility separate from the product name. Do not accept infection-barrier or other protective claims on the strength of a uniform sample; request evidence for the exact claimed performance before including it in the specification.

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.