Sourcing woven modal fabric from China

A flat 8% duty on woven modal fabric

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 5516 covers woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres, including woven modal and qualifying blends. The supplied lines all carry 8% duty for goods from China, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches CITES import and export controls to some lines, including the high artificial-staple-content lines. If the goods contain CITES specimens, an import permit is required. For fabric from China, ask your customs broker to confirm whether these controls apply to its materials and what documents are needed.

Select the line from the artificial staple fibre proportion, the other fibres and whether the fabric is unbleached, bleached, dyed, yarn-dyed or printed. Confirm the commodity code from the composition and construction. For the wider heading, see the woven lyocell fabric guide.

Specify the modal blend and woven construction

State the modal content and every blending fibre, yarn count, weave, mass per square metre and usable width. Specify woven fabric explicitly, together with its intended use in shirts, dresses or linings. Keep an approved sample showing the required drape, handle and opacity.

The fibre label must show the fibre content. Confirm the appropriate fibre name for genuine modal with the relevant authority, rather than treating it as interchangeable with viscose or lyocell. Agree the finishing, intended care instructions, shade reference and print strike-off before bulk production.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of dyed woven modal fabric rolls for a clothing business under 5516 12 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £19,200. Duty at 8% is £1,536. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £20,736, so it is £4,147.20. Import taxes total £5,683.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,536 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Composition: compare the fibre test, roll labels and order specification; investigate fabric sold as modal that tests as ordinary viscose.

Washing: wash bulk samples using the intended care instructions and measure warp and weft changes; compare the washed handle with the approved sample.

Colour: compare rolls with the signed shade standard, check colour transfer during washing and rubbing, and inspect print registration.

Construction: measure usable width and fabric mass, inspect weaving faults, and test seam slippage using the intended garment seam. Record findings through the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A modal description can conceal a different fibre composition. Other rejection points include washing shrinkage, loose seams, colour transfer and bulk shades that differ from the approved sample. A soft handle alone does not establish the fibre identity or washing performance.

Keep samples from the delivered rolls and compare them with the signed approval sample before cutting. Separate shade groups, record roll identities and resolve composition or washing discrepancies before using the fabric.

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.