Sourcing candle and lamp wicks from China
Textile wicks from China, woven, plaited or knitted, for candles, oil lamps, stoves and lighters, including gas mantles and tubular knitted gas mantle fabric, pay 0% UK duty under the single code 5908 00 00 00, with no anti-dumping duty. Candle makers check wick series and size, priming, sustainers and burn behaviour in their own wax and container.
Buying from China for a business? How our UK China sourcing agent service works · China sourcing agent for small orders and first imports
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 November 2026, heading 5908 covers textile wicks, woven, plaited or knitted, for lamps, stoves, lighters, candles or the like, and incandescent gas mantles and tubular knitted gas mantle fabric. It is a single code carrying 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Finished candles are covered in our candles guide, and candle jars in our candle jars guide; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Textile wicks for lamps, stoves, lighters and candles; gas mantles | 5908 00 00 00 | 0% | None |
Specifying wicks
Specify wick series and size, fibre (cotton, paper-core or wood), braid structure, priming wax, pre-tabbed length and sustainer size, and packing. Wick choice decides flame height, soot and melt pool, so burn-test samples in your wax, fragrance load and container before ordering in bulk; the finished candle's safety labelling depends on how it burns.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 200,000 pre-tabbed cotton candle wicks under 5908 00 00 00, invoiced at £3,000 free on board, with £200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,200, so it is £640. 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
Burn test: burn candles made with sample wicks for several hours and check flame height, soot and melt pool.
Consistency: check wick diameter and priming along a batch.
Tabs: check sustainer crimping and pre-tabbed lengths. See our quality inspection guide.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
Wick orders fail on consistency and burn behaviour. Wicks of the same size burn differently between batches, priming is uneven, and sustainers come loose.
Cambridge China Bridge sources candle-making supplies for UK makers from small lots; see small orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on candle wicks from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 November 2026, textile wicks under 5908 00 00 00 carried 0% from China.
How do I choose a wick size?
Burn-test samples in your own wax, fragrance load and container.
Are gas mantles in heading 5908?
Yes. Incandescent gas mantles and tubular knitted mantle fabric are included.
What causes a candle to soot?
Often a wick that is too large for the wax and container; test before bulk orders.