How to export contact lenses from the UK to China

Establish the device classification before offering stock

For contact lenses and spectacles, establish whether each product is a medical device and which class applies with the Chinese authority. Class I devices require filing; class II and III require registration before ordinary import. The UK manufacturer's application remains its own: it must prepare the product submission, Chinese instructions and labels. The process takes months, not weeks, and the Chinese authority decides.

HMRC recorded £5.9m of UK goods exports to mainland China under HS 900130, 900140, 900150, 900490 in 2025 (2024: £5.4m, +10.6%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £4.5m. January to July 2026: £3.2m against £3.3m in the same months of 2025 (-1.8%).

The largest UK export line was 90013000 Contact lenses £5.8m. HS6 900130 covers contact lenses, 900140 glass spectacle lenses, 900150 spectacle lenses of other materials and 900490 spectacles, goggles and similar articles. These are HS-code totals; use the actual product specification to select the UK commodity code and Chinese tariff line.

Price against the Chinese tariff line

Chinese tariff line 90013000 for contact lenses has a provisional rate of 6% for 2026, against an MFN rate of 7%. The other listed lens and spectacle lines have an MFN rate of 7%. Import VAT is generally 13%, calculated on customs value plus duty plus any applicable consumption tax. These charges shape the importer's landed cost and offer price; its customs adviser confirms whether consumption tax applies.

Prepare the filing evidence and Chinese labels

For an imported class I device, the overseas filer designates a mainland legal-person company to submit the filing to the Chinese medical-device authority. The submission includes proof from the home country's competent authority that the device may be sold there. Arrange this evidence as part of the manufacturer's preparation.

Imported medical devices must have Chinese instructions and Chinese labels. The instructions must identify the origin and give the name, address and contact details of the mainland legal entity designated by the overseas registrant or filer. Devices without these instructions and labels may not be imported, so settle the artwork before arranging an ordinary shipment.

Arrange the UK declaration and medical-device certificate

For exports from England, Scotland or Wales, arrange a GB EORI and classify each lens or spectacle product. The online export declaration needs the commodity code, value, weight, packaging, destination, transport and invoice and packing-list references. Give the carrier the invoice and any required export licences or certificates.

A medical device may need an MHRA Certificate of Free Sale. Check whether it is required for your shipment and arrange it through the manufacturer. The MHRA does not verify compliance with the importing country's rules, so this certificate does not replace Chinese device filing or registration.

Match individual lenses to the retail import list

The cross-border e-commerce retail import list includes 90013000 contact lenses; 90014010 glass photochromic lenses; 90014091 glass sunglass lenses; 90014099 other glass spectacle lenses; 90015010 non-glass photochromic lenses; and 90015091 non-glass sunglass lenses. Match each product to an entry before choosing this route.

Listed goods entering through bonded 1210 or direct 9610 retail channels are supervised as personal-use articles, without first-import licence, registration or filing requirements, subject to epidemic-area suspensions and emergency risk measures. Before ordering, consumers must accept a notice covering possible differences from Chinese standards, possible absence of Chinese labels with online Chinese e-labels available, and personal use without resale.

The overseas retail business carries the main product quality and safety responsibility. It must appoint a mainland-registered company for customs registration, truthful declarations and shared civil liability. The transaction limit is RMB 5,000 and the annual limit is RMB 26,000 per person. This consumer route cannot supply stock for a distributor to resell.

Check the importer and prepare with licensed partners

Our own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands. If an importer has already approached you, our staff check that company before stock is sent or anything is signed. For these lenses, establish the intended import route and the company's ability to work with the required device filing or registration.

For this category, our help is limited to preparation, finding and checking a Chinese importer, and coordinating licensed partners. We prepare registration and label work with licensed partners in China; the importer of record and any required cross-border e-commerce agent remain licensed partners' roles, while the brand's own filings stay the brand's. Use our export preparation service to arrange this work.