Free government help buying from China: UK guide 2026
Free UK support can help with import rules, customs paperwork and finding business advice. The services below do not find or check Chinese suppliers for you. We found no record of a UK government service for sourcing from China. Supplier selection, samples and inspections remain work for you or a private provider.
Short answer: free help covers rules and paperwork; supplier checks are your responsibility
There is useful free official help for buying from China, especially on customs procedures, commodity codes and import requirements. That is different from asking someone to find a factory, check its capabilities or inspect your order.
We found no record of a UK government service for sourcing from China. The older programmes below provided general business advice, manufacturing support, reshoring help or customs grants. They should not be described as a former government China-sourcing service.
Free official help available now: who should you contact?
HMRC Customs and International Trade helpline: call 0300 322 9434 for questions about importing, exporting and customs reliefs. The advice service does not select suppliers or resolve product-quality disputes. Telephone call charges may apply.
Trade Tariff: use the official tool to look up commodity codes, duty and VAT rates. Have an accurate product description and material details ready.
GOV.UK Import goods into the UK: follow the step-by-step guidance for registration, declarations, licences, transport and records. Check the route that applies to Great Britain or Northern Ireland.
Growth Hubs: in England, these provide a free, impartial local contact for business advice and signposting. Ask what support fits your business; a referral does not mean a commercial provider is government-endorsed.
Trade Remedies Authority SME support (check any terms when you contact it): the current Trade Remedies Advisory Service helps businesses, including importers and SMEs, understand and participate in trade-remedy investigations. Its remit concerns matters such as dumping, subsidies and import surges, rather than supplier verification.
Chambers of Commerce are a separate membership route, not a government department. Ask about member advice, trade training and documentation support, and confirm what membership includes and what costs extra. Do not assume every Chamber service is free.
What used to exist, and when did it close?
Old references can make support look available long after a programme has ended. Distinguish the service, its purpose and its funding terms before relying on an archived page.
The Manufacturing Advisory Service offered a free initial review, followed by subsidised consultancy with funding of up to 50% of eligible project costs. It was not an entirely free consultancy service.
The former Business Growth Service in the table is the historical programme that included MAS. Its closure should not be confused with the current Business Growth Service using the same name.
| Programme | Dates or closure | What buyers should understand |
|---|---|---|
| Business Link | Regional advisory service ended in November 2011; website replaced by GOV.UK on 17 October 2012. | General business advice and online guidance. We found no record of a dedicated China-sourcing service. |
| Manufacturing Advisory Service / former Business Growth Service | Closed to new applicants on 30 November 2015; Business Growth Service closed on 31 March 2016. | Manufacturing improvement and supply-chain support. A free review could lead to consultancy with up to 50% match funding; businesses contributed to project costs. |
| Reshore UK | Launched in 2014. | Helped businesses bring production back to the UK, including matching and location support. This was the opposite direction from buying from Chinese factories; no closure date is asserted here. |
| HMRC SME Brexit Support Fund | Published application deadline 30 June 2021, or earlier if the funding was fully allocated. | Up to £2,000 for eligible customs training or professional advice for businesses newly affected by trading with the EU or Northern Ireland; firms already trading with non-EU countries were not eligible, which matters if you already import from China. It did not fund finding or checking Chinese suppliers. |
Which government services are for exporting, so you do not waste a call?
The Export Support Service concerns selling goods and services abroad. The former UKTI international trade advisers supported exporters, including through Passport to Export. Neither description establishes a service for finding Chinese suppliers for UK buyers.
The government's Find a supplier service refers to finding UK suppliers and trade partners for overseas buyers. The name can be misleading if you are looking for factories in China.
Before contacting an adviser, say clearly: you are buying goods from China for import into the UK. Ask whether they cover your customs or business-support question.
What you still have to do yourself: find, check, sample, inspect and ship
Find and check: identify suitable suppliers, verify the contracting business and investigate capability and payment details. Start with using Alibaba safely and avoiding sourcing scams.
Sample and specify: approve an identified physical sample and agree materials, dimensions, packaging and acceptance criteria in writing. Our wrong-material guide explains why appearance alone cannot prove material composition.
Inspect: agree checks before shipment against the approved sample and specification. Arrange suitable testing where inspection cannot establish compliance or composition. If goods have already arrived incorrectly, see wrong goods, rejection and claims.
Ship and clear customs: agree transport responsibilities, check product requirements and calculate the landed cost. Read UK import duty and VAT, UK customs clearance and how China sourcing works. Appointing a provider does not remove your responsibilities as the importer.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
Where Cambridge China Bridge fits: free scoping, then an agreed quote
Cambridge China Bridge offers a free scoping call and quote. Bring your product specification, intended use, quantity, delivery requirements and any existing supplier details so we can define the work required.
A supplier check starts from £195. For help assessing a smaller purchase, see our small-order sourcing service. Agree the scope and deliverables before commissioning paid work.
Factory checks and goods inspections are generally included in the sourcing quote; complex work requiring a third party is charged separately by prior agreement.
Cambridge China Bridge is an independent private company, not endorsed by any government body.
Sources
Official sources supporting the import guidance, support remits and historical programme details appear below. Archived and withdrawn material describes past provision, not an open funding offer.
Frequently asked questions
Will the government find a Chinese factory for me for free?
We found no record of a UK government service for sourcing from China. The official services described here provide rules guidance, business signposting or specialist trade-remedy support.
Who can I ask about customs paperwork?
Start with GOV.UK Import goods into the UK and HMRC's imports and exports enquiry service. A customs agent can handle declarations under an agreed commercial arrangement.
Can a Growth Hub pay for my supplier check?
Do not assume funding is available. Ask about current local programmes, eligibility and eligible costs before commissioning work. Signposting alone is not funding approval.
Was the Manufacturing Advisory Service completely free?
No. It offered a free initial review, followed by subsidised consultancy with funding of up to 50% of eligible project costs. That does not establish a free China-sourcing service.
Can I still claim the Brexit customs grant?
The SME Brexit Support Fund described here is closed. Its former grant was for eligible customs training or advice, rather than Chinese supplier searches.
Does Find a supplier list Chinese factories?
The government service discussed here promotes UK suppliers to overseas buyers. It is not a directory for UK buyers sourcing from China.
Is Cambridge China Bridge government-backed?
No. We are a private company and no government body endorses us. The scoping call and quote are free; paid work needs an agreed scope first.
Sources
- GOV.UK: HMRC imports and exports enquiries
- GOV.UK: Trade Tariff
- GOV.UK: Import goods into the UK
- GOV.UK: Backing your business policy annex, including Growth Hubs and the current Business Growth Service
- GOV.UK: Trade Remedies Advisory Service, including support for importers and SMEs
- GOV.UK: TRA practical guides for businesses
- GOV.UK: Bigger, better business, including the regional Business Link closure timetable
- GOV.UK: launch replacing Business Link on 17 October 2012
- GOV.UK: MAS impact analysis, including the free initial review
- GOV.UK: MAS consultancy funding, including the 50% maximum
- GOV.UK: Reshore UK and bringing production back to the UK
- GOV.UK: withdrawn SME Brexit Support Fund guidance
- GOV.UK: BIS annual report and accounts 2012-13 (Business Link closure)