Sourcing Board Games from China

UK duty on board games

Heading 9504 includes table and parlour games alongside consoles, billiards and payment-operated games. Ordinary board games fall within 9504 90 80 00. The table illustrates different products sharing that commodity line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions. For the wider heading and playing cards, see notebooks, stationery and card games.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 9 December 2026, ordinary board games carried 0% duty from China, while playing cards under 9504 40 00 00 carried 2%. The supplied record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. The board-game line attaches ivory and CITES import controls, plus export controls and a cultural-goods export licence measure.

Specify materials without ivory. Before ordering any item containing ivory, confirm with APHA whether it can legally be sold or hired and what exemption, registration or application process applies. For CITES-listed materials from China, confirm applicable permits and restrictions with your customs broker before shipment. Species in the relevant CITES annexes require permits. Ask the broker to confirm the ivory import documentation too. Confirm the commodity code against the complete set and any separately imported cards.

Specify the board, components and playable rules

Write down the unfolded board dimensions, board thickness, fold arrangement, printed finish and box construction. List every card, counter, pawn, die, token, tray and rulebook by material, colour and quantity. Agree how components are bagged and packed. Keep an approved assembled sample and signed print proof, and prohibit material substitutions without approval.

Play through the supplied rulebook using the actual components. Check that diagrams, card text, board spaces and token names agree. Specify card opacity and finish where hidden information matters, and agree how punched tokens should release without tearing their printed faces.

For Great Britain, confirm with Trading Standards whether games designed or intended for play by children under 14 fall within toy rules. Plan testing and warnings before production through testing and certification. Consumer games must be safe in normal and reasonably foreseeable use. For toys, importers must ensure storage and transport conditions do not affect compliance.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 boxed board games under 9504 90 80 00, invoiced at £6,500 free on board, with £1,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £7,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,500, so it is £1,500. 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

Completeness: open packed sets and count components against the approved list; check card sequences, token sheets, bags and rulebooks.

Board and print: unfold the board on a flat surface; check rocking, split hinges, lifting paper, colour drift, registration and unreadable text.

Play and fit: complete a trial game; check that pieces fit board spaces, cards fit trays and tokens punch out cleanly.

Packing and arrival: check crushed corners, dampness, mould, loose components and ink transfer; compare packed goods and agreed labels with the approved sample.

What goes wrong

An attractive box can hide missing pieces, duplicated cards or rules that refer to an earlier design. Assemble production samples and play from the supplied instructions before accepting the batch. Agree replacement components and how the factory will identify affected stock.

Thin board can warp, fold coverings can split and poorly bonded print can lift at punched edges. Compare finished stock with the retained sample after unpacking. Record defects by component and carton using the quality inspection guide, and investigate material changes before approving a reprint.

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.