Importing guide · China to UK
Importing vacuum flasks and insulated bottles from China to the UK
Insulated bottles and flasks touch drinks, so the materials must be safe for food contact, and the steel grade is where corners get cut.
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
- Name the stainless steel grade for every part that touches the drink, for example 304 (EN 1.4301), and check it on a sample. The material swap checker shows why a magnet can’t.
- Ask for migration test reports covering the body, the lid and the seal.
- Test the heat retention of a sample yourself before it goes on the packaging.
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 9617 00 00 00: 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.
- Spec sheet and AQLPut the quality standard in writing, with the inspection sample size.
Questions about importing vacuum flasks and insulated bottles
What is the import duty on vacuum flasks and insulated bottles from China?
Goods from China under commodity code 9617 00 00 00 pay 0% customs duty, with no anti-dumping duty, and 20% import VAT on top. Checked against the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026.
What rules apply to vacuum flasks and insulated bottles imported into the UK?
General product safety, Food contact materials. As the importer you are responsible for making sure the vacuum flasks and insulated bottles meet them before they go on sale.
How much does the UK import from China under this code?
£105.7m in the 12 months to July 2026, under the 8-digit code 96170000 (vacuum flasks and other vacuum vessels, and parts thereof), according to HMRC’s overseas trade statistics.
Importing vacuum flasks and insulated bottles?
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