Do trade-remedy duties apply to my China order?
Check the UK tariff for the exact goods and Chinese origin, then read the relevant measure's product description, exclusions and company conditions. Match these to the actual manufacturer and shipment documents before approving shipment. Cambridge China Bridge can help gather factory evidence for your customs agent.
Start with the exact goods and destination
Prepare a specification covering material, function, dimensions, manufacturing process and how the goods will arrive. Include drawings and photographs where useful. Use our guide to finding your commodity code for classification, then check the measures against that code for Chinese origin rather than stopping at the ordinary duty rate.
Tell your customs agent whether the destination is Great Britain or Northern Ireland before asking for a duty assessment. Ask them to identify the tariff and notices they used. Keep the result with the order file, recording the specification, origin and intended import date.
Compare the order with the measure's scope
Read the relevant official notice alongside the tariff entry. Compare its goods description and exclusions with the specification line by line. Ask the factory for evidence of any feature on which your conclusion depends, such as composition, dimensions or operating weight. If the wording is unclear, ask your customs agent for a written assessment before committing to shipment.
Make a scope note stating why the goods appear covered or excluded, with the supporting drawing, specification or test result attached. Avoid a conclusion based only on a catalogue name. Our guide to which products are worth importing explains how remedies can divide an otherwise similar product family.
Verify the company behind an individual rate
Named exporters can have their own additional codes and duty amounts. Ask for the actual manufacturer's registered name, address and claimed additional code, then compare them with the relevant company entry and annexes. Ask your customs agent to confirm whose identity the measure uses. A familiar brand or related company name is a reason to investigate further.
Where a trader sells goods made elsewhere, map the seller, exporter and producer separately. Request evidence linking the ordered goods to the claimed producer, such as production records and factory dispatch documents. Use the factory audit checklist for broader supplier checks; keep the duty assessment tied to the actual production source.
Check the invoice conditions before shipment
Ask your customs agent whether the measure requires a particular invoice declaration, signature or document code to support the claimed rate. Send the draft commercial invoice for review while the supplier can still correct it. Ask the agent to mark the exact wording and supporting documents needed for this shipment.
For example, the UK countervailing notice for certain excavators from China says the residual rate applies if the invoice is not presented or the declaration is not made. Check the conditions in your own product's notice rather than copying another product's declaration. Our customs document guide covers the wider paperwork handoff.
Recheck and approve a documented shipment
Repeat the check before shipment, using the intended import date. Review the latest relevant notices and ask your agent to flag changes to scope, company entries, rates or conditions. The official heavy-plate notice, for example, specifies an expiry date, so keep the timing of a measure in the assessment.
Give the agent a final pack containing the specification, scope note, producer evidence, invoice, packing list and saved official pages. Ask for written confirmation of the proposed commodity code, additional code, duty basis and unresolved assumptions. If the factory or specification changes, reopen the assessment. Cambridge China Bridge's staff in China can help collect production evidence and reconcile it with the shipment documents.
Frequently asked questions
Does ordinary import duty include anti-dumping duty?
Anti-dumping and countervailing duties can apply on top of ordinary duty. Check the measures for the exact goods and Chinese origin, then read the relevant notice.
Can I use the factory's additional code?
Treat it as a claim to verify. Match the actual producer and relevant company entry, then ask your customs agent to confirm the evidence and conditions for using it.
What if I buy through a trading company?
Identify the seller, exporter and actual producer separately. Ask for documents linking your shipment to the producer whose rate is claimed, and have your customs agent check the arrangement.
When should I check trade-remedy duties?
Check before committing to the order and again before shipment. Reopen the assessment if the specification, producer or import timing changes, and resolve invoice questions before dispatch.