You do not need an import licence (US spelling: license) to bring ordinary clothing, activewear included, into the US, the UK, Canada or Australia. Each market instead wants an importer that customs can identify: an IRS number in the US, a GB EORI in Great Britain, a business number with an import account in Canada, an ABN in Australia. Licences and permits attach to controlled goods and some trade-preference claims, not to garments as such. This is a practical guide, not legal advice.
The short answer
- CBP does not require importers to hold an import licence or permit; other US agencies can, but only for the commodities they regulate [1].
- The UK admits most goods under an open general import licence; importing into Great Britain requires an EORI number starting with GB, not a licence [6][7].
- Canada needs no permit for apparel from countries outside its tariff-preference-level agreements, and Australia's Border Force requires no import licence at all [9][10].
- When a courier form asks for an 'import licence number' on clothing, it wants your importer identifier: EIN, GB EORI, BN15 or ABN [1][6][8][10].
Do you need an import licence to import clothing?
Not for ordinary garments in any of these four markets, as checked on 22 September 2026. Quotas and permits were once common for textiles, which keeps the question alive, but CBP says no goods are now under absolute quota [1], and Global Affairs Canada lists the April 2005 removal of textile and clothing permit requirements under its Export and Import Permits Act [9].
What replaces the licence is registration: customs must know who the importer of record is, because that party answers for the entry and the duty [1][8].
Licence status and importer registration by market (checked 22 September 2026)
| Market | Licence for ordinary clothing? | What you register instead | How you get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | No; other agencies license only the commodities they regulate [1] | Importer number: IRS business number (EIN), SSN or CBP-assigned number [1] | EIN from the IRS, or CBP Form 5106 at a port's Entry Branch [1] |
| Great Britain | No; most goods enter under the open general import licence [7] | EORI number beginning with GB [6] | Online HMRC application, usually issued at once [5] |
| Canada | No, unless the goods claim a preference Canada administers by permit, such as a tariff preference level [9] | BN9 plus RM import account (the BN15) and a CARM Client Portal account [8] | CARM portal; non-residents get the BN from the Canada Revenue Agency first [8] |
| Australia | No; the ABF requires no import licence [10] | Your ABN, if you have one, quoted on formal entries [10] | On the import declaration you or a licensed broker lodge [10] |
How to get an import licence in the USA: what to set up instead
There is nothing to apply for at CBP. Its guidance for new importers says it requires no licence or permit; where one is needed, another federal agency sets the requirement according to the commodity, and CBP administers it at the border [1]. A state or local business licence, which the same page mentions, is a different thing [1].
CBP entry forms ask for an importer number: your IRS business registration number, a Social Security number if you have no registered business, or a number CBP assigns through Form 5106 [1]. Shipments worth more than USD 2,500 need a formal entry; below that, informal entry is unavailable for articles over USD 250 classified in Chapter 99, Subchapters III and IV of the US tariff, and CBP can require a formal entry for any shipment (as checked on 22 September 2026) [3]. With limited exceptions, formal-entry goods are not released until a single-entry or continuous bond on CBP Form 301 is on file [2].
Clothing adds one rule of its own: every commercial textile or apparel entry must carry a manufacturer identification code (MID) built from the name and address of the factory that did the origin-conferring work, and CBP may reject an entry without a correct one [4]. Buying through an intermediary does not change that.
Certain resident importers can file their own entries, and many first-time importers use a CBP-licensed customs broker; the importer of record stays responsible either way [1]. Ocean freight also needs an Importer Security Filing before the goods can be imported [1].
US clothing imports: what to have in place
| Item | What it is | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Importer number | IRS business number (EIN), SSN, or CBP-assigned number via Form 5106 [1] | Requested on CBP entry forms [1] |
| Customs bond | Single-entry or continuous bond on CBP Form 301 [2] | Before goods on a formal entry are released [2] |
| Entry type | Informal up to USD 2,500, with exceptions; formal above that [3] | Per shipment; CBP may insist on formal [3] |
| Manufacturer identification code | Built from the producing factory's name and address [4] | Every commercial textile or apparel entry [4] |
| Importer Security Filing | Advance cargo data, filed electronically by the importer or its agent [1] | Ocean shipments only [1] |
| Customs broker | Licensed by CBP; files entries for you [1] | Optional; the importer of record stays responsible [1] |
How to get an import licence in the UK: apply for an EORI instead
Clothing needs no licence in Great Britain. Imports are controlled through an open general import licence that admits goods without an individual licence, and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) licenses only the groups it lists [7]. The commodity code you declare decides both the duty rate and whether a licence applies [6].
What you need is an EORI number beginning with GB [6], applied for online with HMRC. UK businesses give their Unique Taxpayer Reference, start date, SIC code and any VAT registration; businesses based abroad need no UTR, SIC code or National Insurance number. Most numbers are issued at once; checks can take up to five working days [5]. Northern Ireland movements may also need an XI number [6].
How to get an import licence in Canada: BN, RM account and CARM
Canada does not license ordinary clothing either. Global Affairs Canada says textiles and apparel traded with countries outside its tariff-preference-level (TPL) agreements with the US, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica and Honduras need no Canadian permit or certificate and pay most-favoured-nation duty [9]. TPL goods miss an agreement's origin rules but can still get the preferential rate up to a negotiated quantity, and each such import needs a permit [9]. Garments sewn in China fall outside that scheme.
Registration is the real work: a CARM Client Portal account, a nine-digit business number (BN9) and a six-character import program (RM) account, together the 15-character BN15 [8]. Residents can get the BN9 in the portal; non-residents get it from the Canada Revenue Agency first. To use a licensed broker, you sign an agency agreement and delegate authority in CARM, and CBSA strongly recommends Release Prior to Payment, which requires financial security. The importer of record owes the duties and taxes [8].
How to get an import licence in Australia: none is required
The Australian Border Force (ABF) says neither businesses nor individuals need an import licence [10]. Permits are separate: some goods need one because of what they are, however low their value [10].
If you have an Australian Business Number, you quote it on formal entries; an ABN with GST registration is also what allows input tax credits and GST deferral [10]. Classification is self-assessed, with penalties for incorrect or misleading information, and the ABF will not prepare entries for you; it recommends a licensed customs broker [10]. Goods that require a trade description must show the country where they were made [10].
When is an import licence required? Restricted and controlled goods
Licences attach to goods and circumstances, not to the business. Governments use them to enforce national and UN-level controls, apply sanctions and allocate quantity-limited trade preferences [7][9]. In the UK you must apply before the goods are transported, and importing sanctioned goods without a licence is a criminal offence; none of the import-sanctions notices on the DBT page concerns China, as checked on 22 September 2026 [7].
Where a licence or permit does apply (checked 22 September 2026)
| Market | What needs a licence, permit or certificate | Issued by | Plain synthetic activewear |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Commodities regulated by other federal agencies, administered by CBP at the border [1] | The agency regulating the commodity [1] | No CBP licence; have your broker check each HTS code |
| Great Britain | DBT licences: firearms, anti-personnel mines, torture equipment for museums, certain sanctioned goods, nuclear materials [7]; certificates for animal, plant, food, medicine, chemical, waste and weapon categories [6] | DBT, or the responsible department for certificates [6][7] | Not in any listed category |
| Canada | Goods controlled under the Export and Import Permits Act, including apparel claiming a TPL [9] | Global Affairs Canada [9] | No permit if sewn outside the TPL partner countries [9] |
| Australia | Goods needing a permit because of their nature, whatever their value [10] | The relevant permit-issuing authority [10] | No licence; still check permit and labelling rules |
Import licence, import permit, export licence: what each term means
'Licence' and 'permit' both mean permission for particular goods; which word appears depends on the jurisdiction [1][7][9]. An export licence is the mirror image, granted by the country the goods leave and held by the exporter; UK import guidance places the export declaration and any export licences or certificates with the business sending the goods [6]. 'Import-export licence' is often used loosely for a trader registration. No general licence of that kind exists in these four markets; Canada's closest match is the import program (RM) account on a business number [8].
The terms compared
| Term | Issued by | Held by | Needed for plain activewear? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Import licence | Destination government, such as the UK's DBT [7] | The importer | No, in all four markets |
| Import permit | Destination agency, such as Global Affairs Canada [9] | The importer of record | Only for a Canadian TPL claim [9] |
| Export licence | Country the goods leave; in the US, lead agencies such as BIS [1] | The exporter | Seller's side; ask if a supplier raises it |
| Importer registration | IRS or CBP, HMRC, CRA and CBSA [1][5][8]; in Australia, your ABN [10] | Every commercial importer | Yes: this is what you need |
| Open general licence | UK DBT, as the OGIL [7] | Anyone within its terms | Covers most goods automatically [7] |
| Specific individual licence | UK DBT, for example for firearms [7] | A named importer | Not applicable |
What 'import licence number' means on a courier or shipping form
Booking screens and invoice templates serve many destinations, so the box may read 'import licence number', 'importer tax ID' or 'registration number'. For clothing into these markets it wants the identifier the entry is filed under: importer number or EIN [1], GB EORI [6], BN15 [8] or ABN [10], because the carrier clears the goods as your customs agent. Enter a licence or permit number only if the goods have one, and agree in writing who is importer of record [1][8].
What to confirm in writing before the first shipment
Before goods leave the factory, confirm with your broker or carrier: the identifier the entry will use; each style's HS code and whether a licence, permit or other-agency rule attaches to it [6]; for the US, the producing factory's name and address for the MID [4] and a bond for formal entries [2]; and who is importer of record [1][8].
SEAMDANCE proposes an HS code for each style; the broker's confirmation against the destination tariff is the one that counts. Keep the answers on file for the next order.
Quick answers
How do I get an import licence?
For clothing you normally don't need one: the US, UK, Canada and Australia do not license ordinary apparel imports. Set up an importer identity instead: an EIN or other importer number in the US [1], a GB EORI [5], a BN15 with CARM registration in Canada [8], or your ABN in Australia [10]. Controlled goods need a licence from the agency that controls them.
What is an import licence, and what is import licensing?
An import licence is government permission to bring in a particular controlled product, issued to the importer by the responsible agency. Import licensing is the system that decides which goods need one. In the UK, an open general import licence covers most goods with no application, while firearms, certain sanctioned goods and nuclear materials need a Department for Business and Trade licence [7].
What does 'import licence number' mean on a courier form?
On a carrier's booking screen or invoice template, that box usually wants the number customs uses to identify the importer, since the carrier clears the goods as your agent. For clothing, give your EIN or importer number in the US [1], GB EORI [6], BN15 in Canada [8] or ABN in Australia [10]. Add a licence or permit number only if the goods have one.
What is the difference between an import permit and an import licence?
Mostly the name. Both mean permission for particular goods, and the term depends on who issues it: the UK's Department for Business and Trade issues import licences [7], Global Affairs Canada issues import permits, for example for apparel claiming a tariff preference level [9], and US agencies may ask for either [1]. Plain activewear imported without a preference claim needs neither.
What is the difference between an import licence and an export licence?
The importing country grants an import licence to the importer; the country the goods leave grants an export licence to the exporter. In the US, export-licence questions go to lead agencies such as the Bureau of Industry and Security [1]. When you buy abroad, UK guidance places the export declaration and any export licences or certificates with the business sending the goods [6].
When is an import licence required?
When the goods themselves are controlled. In the UK that means items such as firearms, certain sanctioned goods and nuclear materials [7], plus certificates for animal products, plants, medicines and chemicals [6]. Canada requires a permit when apparel claims a tariff preference level [9]; Australia requires permits for certain goods [10]; US agencies license the commodities they regulate [1]. Plain synthetic activewear is on none of the UK lists.
Why do governments require import licences?
To control particular goods, not to vet importers. Licences let governments enforce national and UN-level controls on items such as weapons and nuclear material, apply sanctions [7], guard health and the environment through certificates for food, medicines, chemicals and waste [6], and share out quantity-limited tariff preferences, as Canada does for some apparel [9]. Customs asks every importer for something simpler: a named party answerable for the entry and duty [1][8].
What is a special import licence?
None of the four markets uses a 'special import licence' for clothing. Read literally, the phrase means permission for a named importer or a single consignment, as opposed to an open, general permission. The UK has both: most goods enter under its open general import licence, while some firearms need a specific individual import licence [7]. If asked for one for activewear, ask which law requires it.
Is there an import licence application form for clothing?
No. The forms you will meet are registrations: in the US, CBP Form 5106 for a CBP-assigned importer number if you lack an IRS number [1] and CBP Form 301 for a customs bond [2]; in the UK, the online EORI application [5]; in Canada, CARM Client Portal registration [8]. Licence applications exist only for controlled goods, such as the UK's online import-licence service [7].
Do I need a customs broker to import clothing?
Not necessarily. You can make your own declarations in the UK [6], Canada [8] and Australia [10], and certain resident importers can file their own entries in the US [1]. Many first-time importers still use a licensed broker, which the ABF recommends [10]. A broker does not take over responsibility: in the US and Canada the importer of record stays answerable for the duties [1][8].
Sources
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Tips for New Importers and Exporters (no CBP licence or permit; other agencies by commodity; importer number and CBP Form 5106; self-filing and licensed brokers; Importer Security Filing; no absolute quotas; export licences via lead agencies)
- eCFR — 19 CFR 142.4, Bond requirements (single-entry or continuous bond on CBP Form 301 before release; checked 22 September 2026)
- eCFR — 19 CFR Part 143, Subpart C, Informal Entry (USD 2,500 limit and its exceptions; CBP may require a formal entry; checked 22 September 2026)
- eCFR — 19 CFR 102.23, Origin and Manufacturer Identification (MID required on commercial textile and apparel entries)
- GOV.UK (HMRC) — Get an EORI number: Apply for an EORI number (what to supply; businesses based outside the UK; how quickly it is issued)
- GOV.UK — Import goods into the UK: step by step (GB EORI; commodity code decides duty and licence need; goods needing licences or certificates; customs agents; what the sender may need)
- GOV.UK (Department for Business and Trade) — Import controls (open general import licence; goods DBT licenses; licence types; import-sanctions notices; page updated 18 September 2026)
- Canada Border Services Agency — Guide to importing commercial goods: Set up your business to import (CARM, BN9, RM account, BN15; non-residents; brokers; importer of record)
- Global Affairs Canada — Textiles & clothing (tariff preference levels need import permits; no permit for textiles and apparel from other countries; 2005 removal of textile and clothing permits)
- Australian Border Force — Requirements to import goods (no import licence required; permits by type of goods; ABN on formal entries; self-assessment; licensed brokers; trade descriptions)
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