Courier form allows one code for mixed goods
Pause the booking and send the courier's customs team an itemised contents sheet with descriptions, codes and supported values. Ask how every product will be declared and obtain written confirmation before dispatch. Factory paperwork can be coordinated by Cambridge China Bridge.
Pause the booking and contact the clearance team
Do not choose the main product's code or the cheapest code simply to complete the form. Save a screenshot showing the restriction and contact the courier's customs clearance team. Ask whether the field feeds the customs declaration or whether they collect detailed goods information separately.
This guide concerns trial parcels entering Great Britain from China. Give the team the actual destination and intended use, including whether the goods are for testing or resale. For Northern Ireland, ask them to confirm the applicable route separately. Use finding your commodity code to check classification rather than relying on the booking form's suggestions.
Prepare an itemised contents sheet
Create a separate row for each distinct product. Record its name, material, function, model, quantity, unit value, line total, currency, country of origin, proposed commodity code and weight. Add photographs or specifications where the description alone could leave doubt. Identify which carton contains each product.
HMRC's declaration guidance requires descriptions specific enough for unambiguous identification, classification and examination. Describe a ceramic drinking mug or a woven cotton tote bag rather than using only 'trial goods'. Send the sheet alongside the invoice and packing list, following our customs document checklist.
Support the values before sending the documents
For purchased trial stock, reconcile the item quantities and prices with the order and payment records. Explain discounts, missing items and any difference between the parcel value and the complete order. Show freight and insurance separately so the clearance team can assess their treatment.
For genuinely free samples, tell the team that no purchase price was paid and ask them to confirm the valuation method. HMRC says the customs value can, for example, be based on the price you would have paid to buy the goods. Request a supplier price list or value statement as supporting material; do not assign a nominal or zero value merely to satisfy the form.
Obtain a declaration route for the actual contents
Ask whether the service supports separate goods items through its booking system, an invoice upload or manual clearance. HMRC describes a customs simplification for low-value parcels, but ask the clearance team to confirm whether your shipment qualifies. If the service uses the postal network, consult postal import paperwork and confirm the operator's arrangements.
Send this request: 'Our parcel contains different products and your booking form accepts only a single commodity code. Please review the attached contents sheet and confirm the declaration route, how each product's description, code and value will be handled, who will submit the declaration and which documents you need before collection.' If they propose grouping goods, ask for the basis and confirmation that it suits these contents.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
Release the parcel only after the route is confirmed
Before authorising collection, obtain written confirmation that the clearance team has reviewed the complete contents sheet and accepted the document submission method. Check the final invoice against the packed goods. If the courier cannot explain how it will handle the mixed contents, keep the parcel at the factory while arranging another service or broker.
Keep the approved documents, correspondence and tracking reference together, then request the declaration record after clearance. If it differs from your instructions, follow checking and correcting an import declaration. Cambridge China Bridge's own staff in China can coordinate factory descriptions, values and packing records for review by the clearance team.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the main product's code for everything?
Do not select it just to complete the booking. Send the complete contents sheet to the clearance team and ask how they will handle every product before dispatch.
Is an itemised invoice enough for a mixed parcel?
Ask the courier to confirm that its clearance team will receive and use it. Uploading an invoice does not tell you how the booking field or declaration will be handled.
What value should I put for free samples?
Ask the clearance team to confirm the valuation method. HMRC says customs value can be based, for example, on the price you would have paid to buy the goods. Provide supporting supplier information.
Should I split the products into separate parcels?
Ask whether the courier can handle the mixed parcel first. If separate parcels are proposed, obtain the costs and paperwork arrangements, and match each parcel's documents to its actual contents.