Sourcing candles and scented candles from China
Candles, tapers and scented candles from China pay 0% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. No candle-specific law applies, so the general safety requirement does: only safe products may be placed on the market, which is normally shown against the European candle fire safety and labelling standards. Cambridge China Bridge sources own-label candles with burn testing and fragrance data in place.
Candles pay 0% UK duty from China. The general safety duty, fire and labelling standards, fragrance data and the burn tests an own-label range needs.
Zero duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, candles, tapers and the like carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. The container is a separate question: a candle in a glass jar is normally classified as the candle, but empty jars bought for filling in the UK have their own code, covered in the glass candle jar guide.
With no duty, the landed price is product, freight and testing. Candles are heavy for their value and can soften in hot containers, so pack and ship with that in mind.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candles, tapers and the like | 3406 00 00 00 | 0% | None |
The safety duty and the standards
Regulation 5(1) of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 says no producer shall place a product on the market unless it is a safe product. For candles, safety is normally demonstrated against the European standards for candle fire safety, EN 15493, and safety labelling, EN 15494, which cover things such as flame height, secondary ignition and the warnings on the product.
Ask the factory for burn test reports for each size and wick combination, not a single report for the range. A change of wick, wax or fragrance load changes the burn, so the tested combination is the one that has to ship.
Fragrance and labelling
Scented candles contain fragrance oils that can carry hazard classifications, and those can bring hazard labelling on the candle. Ask for the fragrance supplier's safety data sheet and its IFRA conformity certificate for the concentration used, and settle the label with the fragrance data in hand; the UK REACH guide covers the chemical side.
Retailers also look for the burn time, the wax type and the weight on the label, so agree the artwork and the net weight tolerance before production.
What goes wrong in production
Tunnelling, soot, a flame that is too high and frosting on the wax surface are the usual complaints, and all come from the wick, wax and fragrance balance. Burn-test production candles at inspection, check fill level and wick centring, and check the scent throw against the approved sample.
Cambridge China Bridge sources own-label candles and scented candles with burn testing, fragrance data and labelling settled before production. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on candles from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, candles, tapers and the like carried 0% duty from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
Which safety rules apply to candles in the UK?
The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 require products to be safe; candle safety is normally shown against EN 15493 for fire safety and EN 15494 for safety labelling.
What fragrance documents should a candle factory provide?
The fragrance supplier's safety data sheet and its IFRA conformity certificate for the concentration used, so the hazard labelling can be settled.
Why test every wick and size combination?
A change of wick, wax or fragrance load changes how the candle burns, so each shipped combination needs its own burn test.