Logistics
Shipping apparel to the UK and EU
Incoterms, duty rates, labelling law and the paperwork that holds shipments at the border.
17 April 2026 · 8 min read
Pick the right Incoterm
FOB gives you control of freight and usually the better rate once volumes justify a forwarder relationship. DDP is simpler for a first order — the supplier handles everything to your door — but you pay for that convenience inside the unit price.
Duty and origin
UK duty on most apparel sits around 12%, calculated on the CIF value. Preferential rates depend on origin documentation, so certificates of origin need to be correct at the point of shipping, not reconstructed afterwards.
Labelling is a legal requirement
Fibre composition, care instructions and country of origin must appear on the garment for both UK and EU sale. Composition must be exact, and EU sales require the fibre names in the language of each market you sell into.
What actually delays containers
Mismatches between the packing list, commercial invoice and bill of lading. Carton counts and declared values must agree exactly across all three documents — a single transposed figure can add a week.
