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BorderMathCalculator
UK import route calculator

Import Duty on Clothing from China to UK

Estimate UK landed cost for clothing imported from China and search the tariff for the correct clothing commodity code.

UK landed cost calculator

Build the customs value, apply a tariff rate, estimate import VAT and see the total landed cost. You can search the UK Trade Tariff or enter a known 10-digit commodity code.

1. Find the tariff classification

Start with a product description or enter the code if you already know it.
Classification matters: choose the description that actually matches the goods.
Use the customs origin of the goods, not simply the seller, warehouse or dispatch country.

2. Enter the shipment values

Enter the intrinsic/customs goods value before any separately charged UK VAT. Goods with no sale price still require an appropriate customs value.
Examples: customs clearance, handling, storage and known onward transport costs that belong in the import VAT value.
Optional business costs incurred after the import VAT valuation point. These are added to landed cost but not used to calculate import VAT.
Enter a rate manually or check the official tariff above.
20% UK standard-rate planning default. Official commodity data can automatically replace it with a clear reduced or zero rate when applicable.
Enter the customs/tariff weight when the official rate is charged per kg, 100 kg or tonne. BorderMath will use it automatically.
Low-value / VAT handling
BorderMath will choose a planning default from the shipment value; change it if your transaction differs.
Tick only when the goods are actually excise-liable. If ticked, BorderMath will withhold final VAT because Excise Duty must be included in the VAT value.
Simplified planning model for Great Britain: customs value = goods + freight + insurance. Import VAT value adds customs duty and qualifying incidental expenses up to the relevant UK destination. For qualifying low-value sales, seller/marketplace VAT paid at checkout is kept separate from customs value and added only to the cash landed-cost total. Post-import costs are added after VAT. Low-value, excise, trade-remedy and Northern Ireland rules can differ.

Estimated landed cost

Live calculation as you change the inputs.
Total landed cost
£0.00
Estimated cost per unit: £0.00
Estimate status: waiting for shipment valuesEnter shipment values to begin.
Customs value£0.00
Customs duty£0.00
Import VAT£0.00
Import VAT incidental costs£0.00
Post-import costs£0.00
Do not use this estimate as a customs declaration. Preference eligibility, rules of origin, quotas, anti-dumping duties, excise, additional codes and certificates can change the amount due.

Clothing classification needs more than “clothes”

Garments that look similar commercially can sit in different tariff branches. Before searching, record the garment type, whether it is knitted/crocheted or woven, the main fibre composition, how the garment is constructed and any characteristics that distinguish it from neighbouring descriptions in the tariff. Do not use a retailer category such as “fashion”, “activewear” or “tops” as if it were a customs classification.

Detail to recordWhy it helps the tariff search
Garment typeSeparates items such as shirts, trousers, coats and other garments.
Knitted/crocheted or wovenTextile construction is a major classification distinction.
Fibre compositionRecord the actual material mix rather than the marketing name.
Complete garment or part/accessoryParts and accessories may follow different headings.

Turn the invoice description into something classifiable

“10 boxes of clothing” is a poor search description. A more useful starting point is factual, for example: “adult knitted T-shirts, 95% cotton and 5% elastane” or “woven polyester outer jackets”. Those descriptions still need to be matched to the tariff wording, but they give you a defensible trail from the goods to the candidate code.

Then calculate the landed cost

Once the code and Chinese origin are selected, the calculator can build a simplified customs value from goods, freight and insurance and apply the live measure. Keep any seller-charged UK VAT separate from import VAT, and check any extra measure returned by the official tariff before treating the result as final.

Official sources and review

Reviewed 6 September 2026. HMRC recommends having details such as the product type, use, materials, production and packaging before classification. Use the UK Trade Tariff and commodity-code guidance rather than relying on a generic clothing duty percentage.

Planning estimate only. Check the live official measure and supporting evidence before a customs declaration. See BorderMath methodology and limitations.