Sourcing staple blackout fabric from China

Blackout fabric under heading 5512

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 5512 covers woven fabrics containing 85% or more synthetic staple fibres by weight. Its polyester category requires 85% or more polyester staple fibres. This guide focuses on woven blackout fabric supplied in rolls. The table separates dyed and yarn-dyed goods even though they share a code.

All listed lines carry 8% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control. These findings concern the recorded commodity lines, rather than approval of a particular fabric for sale.

Confirm the commodity code using fibre composition, staple or filament yarn, fabric construction and finish. Send coated or laminated blackout samples to your customs broker for a separate classification review before using this table. See the polyester staple upholstery fabric guide for wider heading coverage.

Specify the blackout construction

Specify polyester staple content, weave, any dark internal yarn layer, coating or lamination, mass per square metre, usable width, roll length, shade and drape. Agree a light-transmission test method and acceptance level, including checks after the intended cleaning process. A dark sample viewed in a room is insufficient evidence of blackout performance.

Textile labels must show fibre content. Consumer fabric within the scope of Great Britain's general product safety rules must be safe under normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Curtains for hotels and public buildings are often specified to BS 5867-2 by the buyer or fire risk assessment. Agree the intended use and match any fire report to the supplied fabric and finish.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 1,500 metres of dyed woven polyester staple blackout fabric under 5512 19 90 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £7,200. Duty at 8% is £576. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,776, so it is £1,555.20. Import taxes total £2,131.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £576 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Composition: test production fabric for polyester staple content and compare the result with the specification and fibre label.

Light blocking: test across the usable width against the agreed method; inspect for pinholes, thin areas and light leakage after cleaning.

Roll quality: measure usable width and length, compare shade between rolls, and check bowing, creases, weaving faults and damp packing.

Finish and documents: check coating adhesion where relevant, rubbing fastness and shrinkage; match any fire report to the actual construction and treatment. Use the inspection guide to organise the checks.

What goes wrong

A sample blocks light but production rolls show pinholes or uneven coverage. A substituted yarn or lighter construction changes opacity and drape. Rolls differ in shade, shrink unevenly during cleaning, or a coating cracks at folds.

Keep an approved sample and record its construction and finish. Agree how failed rolls will be identified and handled before shipment. Avoid accepting a generic fire report for a different backing, weight or treatment.

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.