Sourcing artificial display fruit from China

UK duty on artificial display fruit

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6702 covers artificial flowers, foliage and fruit, their parts and articles made from them. For display fruit, the supplied facts contain only the plastic and other-materials commodity lines shown here. Both carry 4% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no listed suspension.

The other-materials line carries CITES import and export controls. A specimen can include animal or plant parts or derivatives, or an item made from them. Obtain the material breakdown, including natural stems and decorative additions, and ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable CITES requirement for the Chinese goods before shipment.

Confirm the commodity code against the core, coating and construction rather than the supplier's description alone. See the wider artificial flowers and plants guide for the rest of this heading. For wreaths, see our artificial floral wreath sourcing guide. For topiary, see our artificial topiary tree sourcing guide. For moss mats, see our artificial moss mat sourcing guide. For wearable floral decorations, see our artificial corsage sourcing guide.

Specify the fruit, core and finish

Specify the fruit variety, shape, dimensions, weight, core material, coating, surface texture and colour reference. State whether the fruit is loose, fixed to a display or supplied in an assortment. Approve a physical sample in daylight and under the lighting where it will be displayed.

Food-imitation safety rules apply. Arrange a safety assessment of the realistic appearance and detachable parts before approving the design. Ask the factory to identify the material used for stalks and leaves, and agree cleaning trials, colour-transfer checks and packing protection.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 50,000 plastic display fruits under 6702 10 00 00, invoiced at £25,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £28,000. Duty at 4% is £1,120. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £29,120, so it is £5,824. Import taxes total £6,944; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,120 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Appearance: compare shape, colour shading, gloss and surface texture with the retained sample; check mould seams and paint coverage.

Construction: check stalk and leaf attachment, exposed wire, loose grape-sized pieces and whether the core dents during handling.

Finish: rub the surface with a dry and damp cloth; check paint transfer, shedding, odour and sticky coatings after warm storage.

Packing: open arrival cartons and check dents, rubbed surfaces, assortment counts and separation between pieces. Use the agreed inspection checklist.

What goes wrong

A convincing sample can become a poor production batch when colour shading is simplified, seams are left visible or the core is changed. Thin coatings may rub through, soft fruit can arrive dented, and glued stalks or individual grapes can detach. Retain the approved sample and record the agreed materials.

Do not approve a batch solely because it looks realistic. Review safety concerns alongside appearance, test cleaning on production samples and inspect packed fruit after unpacking. Ask for corrective samples when coatings become sticky or attachments loosen.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.