Importing guide · China to UK
Importing ceramic tableware and kitchenware from China to the UK
Plates, mugs and bowls from China face anti-dumping duty, with hundreds of named exporters on their own rates, and ceramics that touch food have their own safety rules.
Rates checked against the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026. Your exact product may fall under a different code: check it before you order.
What to watch
- Find your supplier in the list of named exporters: the difference between its rate and the rate for others can be large.
- Ceramics that touch food need a declaration of compliance and a test for lead and cadmium release.
- Check decorations and glazes on a sample: they are part of what the release test covers.
The UK rules
General Product Safety Regulations 2005
General product safety
- Supply only products that are safe in normal and foreseeable use.
- Give users the warnings and instructions they need, in English.
- Act if a product turns out to be unsafe, including telling the authorities.
Materials and articles in contact with food regulations
Food contact materials
- Make sure the materials don’t transfer anything into food in quantities that could harm health or change the food.
GOV.UK: food contact materials regulations · Food Standards Agency: packaging
Work it out for your order
- Landed-cost calculatorSet up for code 6912 00 23 10: add your price, quantity and freight.
- Price checkIs a quote too cheap? Compare it with what UK importers declare per kilo.
- Product rules checkerThe rules above, with a checklist to print and send to the supplier.
- Quote comparerCompare suppliers by landed cost, each with its own anti-dumping rate.
- Spec sheet and AQLPut the quality standard in writing, with the inspection sample size.
Questions about importing ceramic tableware and kitchenware
What is the import duty on ceramic tableware and kitchenware from China?
Goods from China under commodity code 6912 00 23 10 pay 4% customs duty, plus anti-dumping duty of 36.1% for most exporters (from 13.1% for named exporters with the right paperwork), and 20% import VAT on top. Checked against the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026.
What rules apply to ceramic tableware and kitchenware imported into the UK?
General product safety, Food contact materials. As the importer you are responsible for making sure the ceramic tableware and kitchenware meet them before they go on sale.
How much does the UK import from China under this code?
£78.6m in the 12 months to July 2026, under the 8-digit code 69120023 (tableware and kitchenware, of stoneware), according to HMRC’s overseas trade statistics.
Importing ceramic tableware and kitchenware?
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