Sourcing woven viscose jacquard fabric from China

8% duty and blend-dependent codes

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 5516 covers woven fabrics of artificial staple fibres. The recorded duty for goods from China is 8% throughout, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension recorded. This guide concerns jacquard woven from viscose staple yarn and qualifying blends.

The snapshot attaches CITES import and export controls to some lines, including fabrics containing at least 85% artificial staple fibres. For covered species, check the required CITES permit before importing from China; ask your customs broker to confirm the species-specific documents. The tariff flag alone does not establish whether your fabric contains covered material.

Confirm the commodity code using fibre composition, staple or filament construction and colour treatment. Code 5516 23 10 00 specifically covers different-coloured-yarn jacquard mattress ticking at least 140 cm wide in the stated filament-blend category; other jacquards need their own classification. See the viscose twill guide for wider heading context.

Specify the jacquard repeat and float structure

Specify the fibre percentages, staple-yarn construction, yarn count, fabric weight and usable width. Supply the jacquard artwork with repeat dimensions, motif direction, face and reverse, colour references and intended use. Agree acceptable floats and snagging performance, especially where bags, jewellery or garment seams may catch the woven pattern.

Approve a woven sample after the proposed finishing and washing process. Compare drape, motif definition, repeat size and shade with the retained sample. Agree shrinkage and seam-slippage acceptance criteria before bulk production. For skin-contact uses, request azo-dye test reports matched to the fabric and colourway.

Textile labels must show fibre content. For viscose made from bamboo pulp, confirm the appropriate fibre name with Trading Standards before describing the fibre composition as bamboo. Check the proposed composition wording against the fibre test and supplier specification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative trial order of dyed woven viscose jacquard rolls under 5516 12 00 00, invoiced at £1,200 free on board, with £200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £1,400. Duty at 8% is £112. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £1,512, so it is £302.40. Import taxes total £414.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £112 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Pattern: compare woven motifs, repeat dimensions, direction and face against the approved sample; check for missing picks, broken ends and distorted repeats across the usable width.

Floats and seams: inspect the reverse for loose floats and snagging; test seam slippage using the intended seam construction and check tear strength.

Wash and colour: wash samples using the intended care method; measure changes in both fabric directions and check shade, rubbing transfer and motif distortion.

Rolls and records: check usable width, measured length, shade consistency, dampness and roll identification on arrival. Match fibre-content wording and test reports to the delivered batch. Use the inspection guide to prepare the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A sample can match the artwork while bulk fabric has longer floats, indistinct motifs or a different finish. Shade changes between rolls become visible when panels are joined. Shrinkage changes the repeat dimensions, while seam slippage can spoil a garment even when the fabric feels suitable.

Retain an approved finished sample and compare bulk fabric before cutting. Keep rolls with shade differences separate and investigate unexpected shrinkage or snagging. A supplier's description of jacquard does not establish the commodity code or prove the fibre composition.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.