Sourcing woven school ties from China

UK duty on woven school ties

Heading 6215 covers ties, bow ties and cravats. This guide focuses on woven school ties, including polyester jacquard designs with school stripes or crests. Knitted ties fall outside this heading. See the wider ties, bow ties and cravats guide for other products.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 8 October 2026, all listed lines carry 6% duty for goods from China. The rate is the same for silk, man-made fibres and other textile materials, whether hand-made or otherwise. The supplied tariff data shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls.

Confirm the outer fabric composition, woven construction and manufacturing method before choosing the commodity code. Do not describe polyester as silk because it has a silk-like finish. Use the import duty and VAT guide when checking the landed cost.

Specify school colours, crest repeats and pupil sizes

Specify the outer fibre composition, weave, stripe direction and widths, school colour references, crest artwork and repeat position. Define finished length, blade width and tolerances for each pupil size. Agree the interlining, tipping fabric, keeper loop and whether the style is self-tie, pre-tied or clip-on.

Approve a woven strike-off for colour and artwork, then a finished sample for knot shape, hang and crest position when worn. Get the school's permission to reproduce its crest. Fibre content must be labelled accurately. For Great Britain, consumer products must be safe; assess the intended pupils and foreseeable use, including neck entanglement and detachable fittings, before approving the construction.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 3,000 woven polyester school ties, illustrative order under 6215 20 00 90, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £400 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,400. Duty at 6% is £384. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,784, so it is £1,356.80. Import taxes total £1,740.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £384 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Colours and crest: compare each school design with the approved strike-off under the agreed light source. Check stripe direction, crest clarity and placement on the visible blade.

Shape and stitching: measure finished length and blade width, hang ties to check twist, and inspect the slip stitch, bar tacks, tipping and keeper loop. Tie a sample knot to check interlining bulk.

Fabric and labels: compare fibre labels with the agreed composition and supporting test results. Check colour fastness to rubbing and perspiration, and assess appearance after the agreed cleaning method.

Fittings and packing: inspect clips and pre-tied assemblies for sharp edges, loose parts and inconsistent operation. Check that pupil sizes and school designs match the carton breakdown. Use the quality inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

A crest can look correct on flat fabric but disappear inside the knot or sit off-centre when worn. Mixed pupil lengths packed under the same label create distribution errors. Keep an approved finished sample for each size and design, and compare packed stock against the order breakdown.

Fabric cut off the bias can make the blade twist. Tight slip stitching causes puckering, while unsuitable interlining produces a bulky or collapsing knot. Shade drift between weaving batches can leave replacement ties visibly different from existing uniform stock. Agree colour acceptance against the retained sample before production.

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.