Sourcing Artists' Acrylic Paints from China

Zero duty on sets and individual paints

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 November 2026, heading 3213 covers artists', students' and signboard painters' colours in tubes, jars, bottles and similar packaging. Artists' acrylic colour sets fall under 3213 10 00 00; other packings fall under 3213 90 00 00. The table separates common formats sharing these codes.

Both lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. No anti-dumping or countervailing measure or suspension is listed. The tariff attaches import and export waste controls to both lines. Waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. For paint supplied as waste from China, confirm the applicable requirements with your customs broker before shipment.

Confirm the formulation, intended use and presentation through finding your commodity code. For the wider product family, see pencils, crayons and paint sets. Import VAT is normally 20%; see UK import duty and VAT.

Specify the acrylic formulation and dried finish

State whether you need heavy-body or fluid acrylics, the intended painting surfaces, each colour, pigment identity, pack size and finish. Agree wet consistency, tinting strength, opacity or transparency, drying behaviour and adhesion on your actual canvas, paper or board. Approve dried swatches as well as wet samples. Ask for evidence supporting any lightfastness claim.

For sales in Great Britain, paint mixtures must be classified and labelled under the chemical classification rules. Confirm the applicable general product safety requirements for adult artists' colours with the relevant product safety authority. Obtain formulation information for a chemical compliance review rather than accepting a blanket claim that water-based paint is harmless. If the paint is intended for children's play, assess the toy requirements described in the wider art-materials guide.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small-business order of assorted artists' acrylic tube sets; FOB value and freight are illustrative under 3213 10 00 00, invoiced at £2,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £4,000, so it is £800. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Colour: compare dried swatches and mixtures with white against approved samples, using the same surface and application method.

Consistency: stir and apply sampled colours; check for lumps, persistent separation, grit and uneven brush flow.

Film: let samples dry on the agreed surfaces; check adhesion, cracking, tackiness and finish against the approved sample.

Packaging: check fill quantity, tube crimps, cap seals, leaks and batch identification; compare labels with the reviewed artwork. Agree the sampling scope through quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A wet colour match can hide weak tinting strength or a different dried shade. Excess filler can leave a chalky film, while separation and lumps make application inconsistent. Leaking caps, split tube crimps and paint drying inside the neck can make otherwise usable stock difficult to sell.

Keep approved samples and batch records, and agree acceptance criteria for each colour. Review formula substitutions before production. A report for a different formulation does not establish the performance of your order; arrange testing and certification around the actual paint and intended user.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.