Sourcing tapestry upholstery fabric from China

8% duty for qualifying pile and chenille fabrics

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 5801 covers woven pile and chenille fabrics, excluding fabrics of headings 5802 and 5806. This guide covers tapestry-pattern upholstery fabric with those constructions. Treat the supplier's word “tapestry” as a design description: obtain a weave sample and yarn specification before selecting a tariff line.

Every line in the supplied heading snapshot carries 8% duty for goods from China. There is no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table gives possible lines for qualifying constructions, rather than a classification based on pattern alone. See the wider woven chenille upholstery guide.

The snapshot attaches CITES import and export controls to wool or fine animal hair and the residual other-material line, and export controls to silk and ramie. Official guidance requires permits for species listed in CITES annexes. If protected fibres are involved, confirm the applicable documents with your customs broker before shipment. Confirm the commodity code using the actual fibre composition and construction.

Specify the tapestry weave and upholstery use

Specify fibre composition, chenille or pile construction, usable width, fabric weight, horizontal and vertical pattern repeat, motif orientation and permitted bow or skew. State whether the pattern runs along the roll or across its width. Approve a sample large enough to show the complete repeat and a sewn corner, rather than a small colour swatch.

Agree backing, coating, handle, abrasion, snagging, colour fastness and cleaning performance. For domestic furniture, confirm with the relevant authority which fire regulations and match and cigarette resistance requirements apply, and whether a compliant interliner is an acceptable route for the proposed permanent cover. Fabric sold by the metre to consumers needs fibre composition information. Arrange testing and certification against the intended upholstery construction.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 600 metres of polyester chenille tapestry-pattern upholstery fabric under 5801 36 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 8% is £512. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,912, so it is £1,382.40. Import taxes total £1,894.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £512 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Pattern: compare repeat, motif position, bow and skew with the approved sample; check whether adjoining seat and back panels can be matched.

Surface: inspect for missing picks, snagged floats, chenille loss, colour bands and shade differences between rolls under consistent lighting.

Dimensions: measure usable width and roll length; check weight, backing adhesion and distortion after the agreed cleaning trial.

Evidence: match fire and performance reports to the supplied fibre blend, construction and finish; check fibre information and roll identification against the order.

What goes wrong

A small swatch can hide a repeat that wastes fabric when matching sofa panels. Skewed motifs remain obvious after cutting, while long floats can snag at seat edges. Mixed dye lots create visible differences across a furniture set. Inspect the bulk rolls before cutting and retain an approved reference sample.

Backing or flame-retardant treatment can change handle and cleaning behaviour. A report for an untreated sample does not establish the performance of the supplied coated fabric. Specify the finished construction, check coating consistency and compare a production sample with the tested material before accepting shipment.

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.