Sourcing woven silk terry fabric from China

Zero duty on woven silk terry fabric

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, woven terry fabrics of other textile materials under 5802 20 00 00 carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied snapshot lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, tariff suspension or attached import control for this line.

Heading 5802 covers terry towelling and similar woven terry fabrics, excluding narrow fabrics of heading 5806, and tufted textile fabrics excluding products of heading 5703. Silk terry belongs within the other textile materials category. The table contains the relevant commodity line; there are no separate silk terry lines in the supplied facts. See the woven linen terry guide for related heading coverage.

Give your customs broker a fabric sample, construction details and the fibre composition of the loop and ground yarns to confirm the commodity code. Knitted terry and finished towels require separate classification. See UK import duty and VAT when preparing the landed-cost calculation.

Specify the silk loops and ground weave

Specify the fibre composition of both loop and ground yarns, silk yarn type, yarn count, loop height and density, which faces carry loops, usable width, fabric weight, roll length and finish. A silk loop yarn does not establish that the ground weave is also silk. Approve a physical sample and agree the care procedure and acceptable dimensional change before production.

Fabric sold to consumers by the metre needs fibre content labelling. Match the declared composition to the fabric supplied. Confirm with HSE or a chemical compliance adviser which UK REACH restrictions on azo colourants apply to textiles intended for direct and prolonged skin contact. For fabric intended for clothing or towels, request dye test reports for each colour and check that they cover the ordered material.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 100 metres of woven silk terry fabric in rolls under 5802 20 00 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £400 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,400, so it is £1,280. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Composition: verify loop and ground yarn fibres against the order and check that the declared fibre content matches the test report.

Dimensions: measure usable width, roll length and fabric weight across sampled rolls; record edge damage and areas that cannot be cut.

Loops and colour: inspect for pulled loops, missing loops, broken ground threads and shade variation across the width and between rolls. Compare with the approved sample.

Care performance: follow the agreed care procedure, then check dimensional change, colour transfer, loop retention and absorbency where relevant. Keep the original sample for comparison.

What goes wrong

Orders can fail when the sample has silk loops but the bulk fabric uses a different ground yarn, when a soft finish conceals sparse loops, or when rolls differ in shade. Snagged loops and damaged edges reduce usable cutting area. Washing can reveal shrinkage, colour transfer or a change in handle that was not apparent on the unwashed sample.

Keep an approved sample with the purchase order, identify dye lots on the roll records and test the agreed care procedure before cutting the shipment. Compare bulk samples with the approved fabric rather than relying on photographs or the description “silk terry”. Arrange a 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 own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.