Sourcing base-metal cufflinks from China

UK duty on base-metal cufflinks

Heading 7117 covers imitation jewellery. Base-metal cufflinks, whether or not plated with precious metal, sit under 7117 11 00 00 alongside studs. The other table rows show neighbouring imitation-jewellery lines for comparison, rather than alternative codes for base-metal cufflinks. See the wider jewellery findings and craft components guide.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 October 2026, the cufflink line carries 4% duty for goods from China, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension. The tariff attaches CITES, cat-and-dog-fur and seal-product import controls. Cat and dog fur products are banned. For seal materials, confirm the applicable requirement with your customs broker before ordering. CITES-listed materials need the applicable permits.

Confirm the finished article's materials and construction using finding your commodity code. Do not use a neighbouring jewellery code merely because the cufflinks have decorative inserts.

Specify the cufflink face, stem and fastening

Write down the base metal for the face, stem and fastening separately. Specify the plating, protective finish, face dimensions, stem length, engraving position and fastening type. Approve a physical pair and try it through the shirt cuffs your customers will use. Confirm whether packaging holds a matched pair or individual pieces.

Confirm with the relevant authority which UK REACH restrictions on cadmium and lead in jewellery, and nickel-release limits for prolonged skin contact, apply to your cufflinks. Ask for laboratory reports identifying the actual cufflink materials and finish. A report for another plated item does not establish your cufflink's performance. Consumer cufflinks supplied in Great Britain must be safe.

Identify decorative inserts by material and, for animal-derived materials, species. For CITES-listed materials, check the permit arrangements with the authorities in Britain and China. Keep the approved sample, material declaration and test reports together.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of paired base-metal cufflinks for a business under 7117 11 00 00, invoiced at £2,000 free on board, with £200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,200. Duty at 4% is £88. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,288, so it is £457.60. Import taxes total £545.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £88 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fastening: operate the swivel or toggle repeatedly, check its retaining action, and look for loose pins, cracked joints or a bent stem.

Finish: compare paired faces and plating against the approved sample; check recesses, edges and undersides for bare patches, scratches and burrs.

Decoration: check engraving orientation, enamel coverage and insert security; look for glue marks and differences between the paired pieces.

Packing: confirm matched pairs, protect faces from rubbing, and check that carton contents and material records match the ordered cufflinks.

What goes wrong

A cufflink can look correct in a photograph but fail on a shirt. A short stem can compress a thick cuff, while a loose toggle can turn during wear. Test the sample on actual cuffs and record the fastening action you accept.

Colour approval alone leaves the base metal and coating open to substitution. Different finishes can also produce mismatched pairs or obscure shallow engraving. Agree the materials and finish in writing, retain the sample, and inspect paired pieces before accepting the delivery.

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.