How to export luggage from the UK to China
To export luggage to China, classify each product, arrange the UK export declaration and agree the Chinese import route. MFN duty is 6%, 8% or 10%, depending on the tariff line, with import VAT generally at 13%. Cambridge China Bridge’s own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands.
Choose the import route before committing stock
Luggage and travel bags span HS6 420211, 420212, 420219, 420291, 420292 and 420299. Give your Chinese importer the product description and outer-surface material so its customs broker can confirm the Chinese tariff line and applicable product requirements. Decide whether the shipment is for distribution or cross-border retail: goods imported through the latter route are for personal use and may not be resold.
HMRC recorded £1.9m of UK goods exports to mainland China under HS 420211, 420212, 420219, 420291, 420292, 420299 in 2025 (2024: £2.2m, -13.5%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £12.1m. January to July 2026: £780k against £1.4m in the same months of 2025 (-44.2%).
Price against the Chinese tariff line
The listed Chinese tariff lines have the MFN rates shown below. Leather or composition-leather trunks fall under 42021110 at 8%; other leather-faced cases under 42021190 attract 6%. Plastic or textile-faced trunks and other cases under 42021210 and 42021290 attract 10%. Have the importer's customs broker confirm the classification before negotiating the price the importer can offer.
Import VAT generally uses 13%. Its base is the customs value plus customs duty plus consumption tax; the importer’s customs broker or adviser confirms whether consumption tax applies to this product. Border taxes add to the importer’s landed cost, so calculate them alongside the selected tariff line.
| Chinese tariff line | Rate |
|---|---|
| 42021110 | 8% |
| 42021190 | 6% |
| 42021210 | 10% |
| 42021290 | 10% |
| 42021900 | 10% |
| 42029100 | 6% |
| 42029200 | 6% |
| 42029900 | 10% |
Prepare the UK declaration for each product
Find the correct UK commodity code for each case or bag. Exporting from England, Scotland or Wales requires a GB EORI number and an online export declaration. Supply the declarant with the code, value, weight, packaging, destination, transport details, and invoice and packing list references. The carrier needs the invoice and any applicable export licences or certificates.
The largest UK export line to mainland China in 2025 was 42021291 at £387k, covering executive-cases, briefcases, school satchels and similar containers. That is a code total, not luggage alone. UK export subdivisions differ from the Chinese tariff lines: do not simply copy the UK declaration code into the importer’s costing.
Check the cross-border retail listing and leather exception
The cross-border retail import list includes 42021110, 42021190, 42021210, 42021290, 42021900 and 42029100. For the leather lines 42021110, 42021190 and 42029100, goods in the wildlife import/export catalogue are excluded unless the specified certificate from China’s endangered-species import/export office confirming that the species is outside that catalogue can be supplied. Check the material and this exception before choosing the route.
Listed goods entering through bonded 1210 or direct 9610 channels are supervised as personal-use articles, without first-import licence, registration or filing requirements, subject to epidemic-area suspensions and emergency risk handling. The overseas business retains primary product 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 possible differences from Chinese standards, possible absence of Chinese labels, access to a Chinese electronic label online, and the personal-use restriction against resale. Build these conditions into the retail proposal rather than offering this route for distributor stock.
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Find and check a Chinese importer
Ask prospective buyers which cases or bags they want, which Chinese tariff lines they propose and whether they intend distribution or cross-border retail. Our own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands. If a Chinese importer has already approached your brand, our staff in China check that company before stock is sent or anything is signed.
Where required, we prepare registration and label work with licensed partners in China. Regulated roles stay with licensed partners in China, including the importer of record and, for cross-border retail, the appointed agent; the brand’s own filings stay the brand’s. We check with licensed partners. Use our export-to-China service to discuss finding or checking a buyer.
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese duty applies to UK luggage?
The listed MFN rates are 6%, 8% or 10%. Leather-faced trunks under 42021110 attract 8%; plastic or textile-faced cases under 42021210 and 42021290 attract 10%. Classification determines the rate.
Can I sell leather luggage through cross-border e-commerce?
42021110, 42021190 and 42029100 are listed, with a wildlife-catalogue exception requiring the specified species certificate. Check the material and list remark before arranging retail imports.
What paperwork does a UK luggage exporter need?
For exports from England, Scotland or Wales, arrange a GB EORI and export declaration with the correct commodity code and shipment details. Provide invoice and packing list references, plus any applicable licences or certificates.
Can a distributor resell luggage imported through cross-border retail?
Goods imported through this retail route are for personal use and may not be resold. Agree a suitable import route with the Chinese buyer before supplying distributor stock.