Sourcing basil sheepskin leather from China

UK duty and classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 4112 covers sheep or lamb leather further prepared after tanning or crusting, without wool, whether or not split, excluding leather of heading 4114. Confirm that the basil leather offered has reached this processing stage.

The supplied China-origin tariff line, 4112 00 00 00, carries 0% duty. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension is recorded. The tariff attaches CITES import and export controls. Check the scientific species against CITES listings and confirm any applicable permits before shipment from China. Where applicability is unclear, ask your customs broker to confirm the requirement.

Give the broker the species, tanning process, finishing operations and photographs. Use finding your commodity code to check classification, and the sheep and lamb leather guide for the wider heading.

Specify the basil leather and usable cutting area

Ask the tannery to confirm that its basil leather is vegetable-tanned sheep leather. Record the intended use, thickness tolerance, firmness, grain appearance, colour and surface finish. Specify whole skins or cut pieces and agree how usable area excludes holes, damaged edges and loose belly material.

Approve a retained sample and trial it with your cutting, stitching, folding or adhesive process. Agree a laboratory brief for dyes and tanning residues appropriate to the intended use. REACH restrictions can limit, ban or impose conditions on substances; an attractive sample does not establish chemical suitability.

Obtain a written description of the tanning and finishing stages. Confirm with APHA whether the actual tanning treatment qualifies the hides and skins for exemption from veterinary border checks in Great Britain. Ask for confirmation of the actual processing stage rather than relying on the sales name.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative pallet of finished basil sheepskins, sent by air; values in whole pounds under 4112 00 00 00, invoiced at £4,112 free on board, with £2,026 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,138. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,138, so it is £1,227.60. 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

Identity: match the species declaration, tanning description, finish and batch references to the approved order.

Cutting yield: lay skins flat, verify the agreed area measurement and mark holes, scars, weak bellies and damaged edges against your cutting patterns.

Consistency: compare thickness, firmness, stretch and shade across skins; check folding, stitching and colour transfer against the approved sample.

Arrival condition: open bundles and inspect inner skins for dampness, mould, sticking, creases and discolouration; photograph defects before cutting.

What goes wrong

A quoted skin area can conceal poor cutting yield. Thin bellies, scars and edge damage may leave too little material for the intended panels. Agree the measurement method and acceptable defect locations before approving the batch.

A supplier may use basil as a broad sales description while supplying a different tannage or finishing stage. Mixed shades, excessive stretch and colour transfer can then appear during manufacture. Compare production material with the retained sample and resolve discrepancies before dispatch.

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.