Applying Union Customs Code Annex 22 Rules to Multi Country Blended Yarns
Non-preferential origin under Union Customs Code Annex 22-01 hinges on meeting primary processing rules or proving predominant constituent fiber weight.
Combed Flax Sliver
Primary Textile Strand
Continuous untwisted bundles of highly aligned hackled bast fibres represent the penultimate stage in the preparation of yarn material before drafting and spinning. This combed flax sliver emerges from the combing machine after short fibres and shive have been extracted, producing a uniform strand of parallelised long line flax. Mills measure the linear density of this sliver in kilotex, and any variation here directly affects the count consistency of the final spun yarn.
The alignment of the long flax fibers is critical for high-speed industrial processing, where friction and cohesion must remain balanced to prevent sliver breaks.
Grade Specification
Assessment protocols for the intermediate material focus on strand uniformity and the percentage of remaining short fibres, known as noil. During the combing stage, inspectors test samples for mass variation and record these metrics on the mill processing card to verify that the combed flax sliver meets the threshold for high-grade wet spinning. If the average fiber length falls below the contract minimum, the sliver is downgraded for dry spinning or coarse blending.
Drafting Performance
Process stability during subsequent draw frame operations relies on the cohesion of the aligned bast bundle. A combed flax sliver with insufficient cohesion will draft unevenly or break under tension.