How to export nail polish from the UK to China

File ordinary nail cosmetics before general-trade import

Nail polish and nail care falls under HS 330430, manicure or pedicure preparations. Ordinary cosmetics need filing with NMPA before import, through a mainland company designated by the overseas filer. Check claims first: cosmetics claiming a new efficacy are special cosmetics. Plan for months, not weeks; the Chinese authority decides the filing or approval outcome. Treat this as a start category, with filing work built into your launch plan.

HMRC recorded £575k of UK goods exports to mainland China under HS 330430 in 2025 (2024: £318k, +80.7%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £125k. January to July 2026: £843k against £296k in the same months of 2025 (+185.1%).

Build duty and VAT into the importer’s offer

Chinese tariff line 33043000 carries an MFN duty rate of 5%. Import VAT is 13%, calculated on customs value plus customs duty plus any applicable consumption tax. The importer’s customs broker or adviser confirms whether consumption tax applies to this product. These border taxes add to landed cost and shape the price a Chinese importer can offer your brand.

Prepare matching Chinese labels

For general-trade imports, the polish can carry a directly printed Chinese label or an added Chinese sticker; the sticker’s content must match the original label. The importer must check filing or registration status and compliance with mandatory national standards and technical specifications before import. Give your mainland responsible person the original label and proposed Chinese artwork for review before printing.

Set up the UK export declaration

Classify the polish against UK export line 33043000, manicure or pedicure preparations. Exporting from England, Scotland or Wales requires a GB EORI and an online export declaration. Arrange the commodity code, value, weight, packaging, destination, transport details, and invoice and packing list references for the declarant. The carrier needs the invoice and any required export licences or certificates.

Use cross-border retail for personal-use orders

Chinese code 33043000, nail cosmetics, appears on the cross-border retail import list, excluding goods in the Catalogue of Prohibited Imports, seventh batch. Through bonded 1210 or direct 9610 retail channels, listed goods are supervised as personal-use articles without first-import licensing, registration or filing requirements. Exceptions cover goods from suspended epidemic areas and emergency handling of major quality and safety risks.

The overseas seller remains responsible for product quality and safety and must appoint a mainland-registered company for customs registration, truthful declarations and shared civil liability. Before ordering, consumers must accept a notice covering possible differences from Chinese standards, possible absence of a Chinese label, access to a Chinese electronic label, and the personal-use restriction. These purchases may not be resold.

Check the Chinese partner before committing stock

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. Establish which route the company intends to use for the polish and who will handle the required mainland responsibilities.

We prepare registration and label work with licensed partners in China. The importer of record and, where required, the responsible person or cross-border e-commerce agent remain licensed partners in China; your brand’s own filings stay yours. We check with those partners. Use our export-to-China service to arrange the partner checks and preparation.