Sourcing woven motorcycle gloves from China

Ordinary duty and conditional suspension

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 6216 covers gloves, mittens and mitts. This guide concerns woven textile motorcycle gloves, excluding knitted or crocheted constructions. The supplied file contains a single commodity line, 6216 00 00 00, with 6% ordinary duty for China and no anti-dumping or countervailing measure recorded. The table shows product variants using that same line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

The file lists an autonomous suspension at 0.00% for textile gloves that are not knitted or crocheted. Our woven fabric gloves guide describes a COVID-19 eligibility condition using document 9Y11. Ask your customs broker to confirm current eligibility before using zero duty for motorcycle gloves. Confirm the commodity code against the finished glove, including any leather panels or coatings.

The tariff attaches CITES, cat and dog fur, and seal-product import controls. CITES-listed species in Annex A, B or C require a permit. Cat and dog fur, including products containing it, cannot be imported. Seal products may be imported and sold only in limited cases subject to strict conditions. Obtain the material and species details for animal-derived components and ask your broker to confirm the applicable permits, admissibility and seal documentation before shipment.

Specify grip, wrist retention and rider protection

Specify the woven shell and lining, palm reinforcement, knuckle protector material and position, finger construction, cuff length and wrist closure. Agree a size chart and tolerances against an approved sample. Try samples with the hand curled around a handlebar grip: fingertips should not bunch, seams should not press into the palm, and the closure should resist the glove pulling off.

For gloves sold to protect riders, confirm with the relevant authority whether they are personal protective equipment and which conformity assessment, CE or UKCA marking, and third-party assessment requirements apply in Great Britain, including for mechanical-risk protection. Ask for the certificate and supporting test reports for the exact construction, plus the declaration of conformity and English user information, and confirm which documents are required. Agree any waterproof or touchscreen claims and their sample checks before production. Our testing and certification service can help define the evidence to request.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 500 pairs of woven textile motorcycle gloves, illustrative only under 6216 00 00 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,800. Duty at 6% is £408. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,208, so it is £1,441.60. Import taxes total £1,849.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £408 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fit and pairing: measure the agreed dimensions across the size assortment; check matching left and right gloves, finger lengths, thumb movement and comfort around a grip.

Retention and seams: check wrist fasteners, cuff adjustment, fingertip and thumb seams, reinforcement attachment and lining movement during repeated removal.

Materials and function: compare fabric, palm grip and protector position with the approved sample; check dye transfer, exposed hard edges and any agreed waterproof or touchscreen function.

Evidence and labels: match the supplied gloves to the certificate and reports; check conformity marking, size identification and user information. The importer must indicate its name, registered trade name or trademark and postal address on the equipment. Agree these checks through the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A glove can look correct when laid flat yet restrict the fingers around a grip. Loose wrist straps allow it to pull off, stiff palm seams interfere with control, and linings come out with the hand. Knuckle protectors can move away from their intended position when the fingers bend. Compare production gloves in use with the approved sample.

Another failure is a certificate for a different glove, followed by changes to the shell, palm reinforcement or closure without matching evidence. Keep the approved construction and document identity in the purchase specification. Treat a factory inspection as a check on production consistency, alongside the protective-performance evidence.

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.