Sourcing woven sisal rugs from China

A flat 8% duty on the sisal lines

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, the sisal lines within heading 5702 carried 8% duty for goods from China, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing measures or suspensions. These cover woven floor coverings, with or without pile, made up or not. This guide focuses on woven sisal rugs rather than tufted or flocked products.

The listed sisal lines attach cat and dog fur import and export controls: imports and exports of such fur, including products containing it, are banned. Ask the supplier to identify every fibre and trim. The tariff also lists a cultural-goods export licence control, and an export CITES control on the not-made-up pile line. Confirm any applicable export requirements with your customs broker before re-exporting.

Confirm the commodity code from the actual fibre, pile construction and whether the goods are made up. Do not choose a code from the word ‘natural’ alone. See the woven kilim rugs guide for the wider heading.

Specify the sisal weave, binding and backing

Specify the use-surface fibre composition, weave pattern, yarn appearance, finished dimensions, squareness, border material and colour, binding width, corner finish and backing. Keep an approved sample showing acceptable natural colour variation and shedding. Agree care instructions after checking how the sample responds to spills and cleaning.

Consumer rugs in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Confirm with Trading Standards which fibre composition must appear on floor-covering labels. Test edge curling and any anti-slip claim on the intended flooring. If supplying carpet for fitting in buildings, establish the construction-product requirements and fire classification described in the site's published flooring guides before ordering.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 50 finished flatwoven sisal rugs; illustrative order, not a quotation under 5702 99 00 30, invoiced at £4,000 free on board, with £1,960 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,960. Duty at 8% is £476.80. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,436.80, so it is £1,287.36. Import taxes total £1,764.16; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £476.80 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Weave and fibre: compare the face with the approved sample, check for loose yarns and uneven weave, and match the fibre declaration to the label.

Shape and binding: measure finished dimensions and squareness, lay rugs flat, and check curled edges, loose stitching, exposed cut edges and uneven corners.

Backing and colour: check adhesion, odour and floor marking, test any anti-slip claim, and compare colour and rubbing behaviour across the batch.

Moisture and packing: inspect for dampness, browning, mould and crushed rolls; check care information, product identification and wrapping before dispatch and on arrival.

What goes wrong

Sisal can brown after wetting and shed fibres. A sample approved only for appearance can conceal poor spill performance, colour transfer or unacceptable shedding. Agree the cleaning method and acceptable results before production rather than copying care instructions from a washable synthetic rug.

Uneven weave tension or backing can leave rugs rippled, while tight binding pulls corners upwards. Damp packing can turn an otherwise acceptable batch into stained or mouldy stock. Check packed production goods against the approved sample, using an agreed inspection brief.

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.