How to export jewellery from the UK to China
Match each jewellery item to its Chinese tariff line before pricing: MFN rates range from 8% to 18%. Cross-border retail covers only the listed silver, gold and platinum lines, subject to their remarks. Cambridge China Bridge has its own staff in China to find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands.
Choose the route for each jewellery item
For jewellery and silverware, establish the Chinese tariff classification and import route before agreeing a shipment. Some silver, gold and platinum jewellery lines appear on the cross-border retail list; that listing does not cover the whole range. Give the importer’s customs broker the material and product description so they can confirm the requirements for each item.
For UK exports under HS 7113-7117 (11 subheadings): HMRC recorded £14.2m of UK goods exports to mainland China under 11 HS6 subheadings in 2025 (2024: £21.3m, -33.5%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £370.2m.
January to July 2026: £8.1m against £6.6m in the same months of 2025 (+23.6%). These are UK exports under the same HS codes. The largest listed UK export line to mainland China in 2025 was 71131900, jewellery of precious metal other than silver, at £10.2m. These are code totals, rather than sales of a particular brand or item.
Price against the Chinese tariff line
The 2026 Customs Import and Export Tariff gives silver and gold jewellery lines an MFN rate of 8%, while the listed platinum lines are 10%. Base-metal imitation jewellery under 71171900 is 8%; other imitation jewellery under 71179000 is 18%. Use the precise Chinese line below when discussing landed cost, rather than applying one jewellery rate across your collection.
The VAT Law sets a standard import VAT rate of 13%, subject to its exceptions. Import VAT is calculated on customs value plus customs duty plus consumption tax, multiplied by the applicable rate. The importer’s customs broker or adviser confirms whether consumption tax applies to the jewellery. These border taxes add to landed cost and shape the price an importer can offer.
| Chinese tariff line | Rate |
|---|---|
| 71131110 | 8% |
| 71131190 | 8% |
| 71131911 | 8% |
| 71131919 | 8% |
| 71131921 | 10% |
| 71131929 | 10% |
| 71132010 | 10% |
| 71132090 | 10% |
| 71141100 | 10% |
| 71141900 | 10% |
| 71142000 | 10% |
| 71161000 | 10% |
| 71162000 | 10% |
| 71171100 | 10% |
| 71171900 | 8% |
| 71179000 | 18% |
Check the limits of cross-border retail
The listed Chinese lines are 71131110, 71131190, 71131911, 71131919, 71131921 and 71131929. For 71131190, 71131919 and 71131929, goods in the Import and Export Catalogue of Wild Fauna and Flora Species are excluded unless they carry the specified certificate of species outside that catalogue from China’s endangered-species import and export management office. Check any wildlife-derived material against this remark before choosing the route.
Listed goods imported through bonded 1210 or direct 9610 retail channels are supervised as personal-use articles, without first-import licence, registration or filing requirements, subject to the stated epidemic and emergency-risk exceptions. The overseas business bears primary quality and safety responsibility and must appoint a mainland-registered company to register with customs, declare truthfully and share civil liability.
The limits are RMB 5,000 per transaction and RMB 26,000 per person annually. Before ordering, consumers must accept a notice explaining that origin-country standards may differ from Chinese standards and that goods may have no Chinese label, with a Chinese electronic label available online. Purchases are for personal use and may not be resold, so this route does not supply a distributor’s resale stock.
Prepare the UK export declaration
Classify each jewellery item using the correct UK commodity code. Exports from England, Scotland or Wales require a GB EORI number and an online export declaration. Prepare the value, weight, packaging, destination, transport details, and invoice and packing list references for the declarant. The carrier needs the invoice and any applicable export licences or certificates; have the shipment’s requirements confirmed before dispatch.
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Find and check your Chinese importer
Our own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands. If an importer has already approached you, our staff in China check that company before stock is sent or anything is signed. Establish whether the proposed purchase is for distributor resale or personal-use cross-border retail, and have the buyer explain how your jewellery will be classified and imported.
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 in China; the brand’s own filings remain the brand’s. Use our export support service to discuss checking the prospective importer and preparing the work.
Frequently asked questions
What is China’s import duty on UK jewellery?
The listed silver and gold jewellery lines have MFN rates of 8%; platinum lines are 10%. Other imitation jewellery under 71179000 is 18%. Match the item to its Chinese tariff line before pricing.
Can I sell British silverware through cross-border retail?
The matched list entries cover specified silver, gold and platinum jewellery lines. Silverware line 71141100 is not among those entries. Have the importer’s customs broker confirm the route for the exact item.
Can a Chinese distributor resell cross-border retail jewellery?
Goods imported through this personal-use retail route may not be resold. A distributor buying jewellery for resale needs to establish the appropriate import route for its stock.
Do I need an EORI to export jewellery from Britain?
Yes. Exports from England, Scotland or Wales require an EORI starting GB. The jewellery also needs the correct commodity code and an online export declaration, with invoice and packing list references.