Sourcing candles and scented candles from China

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.

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. For taper candles, see our taper candle sourcing guide. For church candles, see our church candle sourcing guide. For votive candles, see our votive candle sourcing guide. For emergency candles, see our emergency candle sourcing guide.

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.

Related guides: Sourcing artificial flowers and plants from China, Fragrance oils and compounds from China.

Choose the wax by performance

Paraffin is a useful starting point for strong scent throw and a smooth finish. Soy can give a creamy appearance but may develop frosting: pale crystals on the surface. Rapeseed is another plant-based option, often supplied as a blend. None of these names guarantees a longer burn or better scent throw; compare samples with the intended fragrance and wick.

Ask for a container grade for jar candles and a pillar grade for candles that must stand unsupported. Soy and rapeseed container waxes should not be assumed suitable for pillars. Blends can balance hardness, surface finish and scent performance, but ‘soy blend’ tells you little about the actual recipe. For blend sourcing, see our artificial and prepared waxes guide.

Put the wax supplier, grade, blend proportions, permitted additives and fragrance loading into the specification. Agree acceptable frosting, jar adhesion and scent throw before ordering. Ask to match incoming wax labels and purchase records to production batch records, and retain samples of the raw wax and finished candle. Appearance alone cannot confirm the composition; investigate discrepancies with an independent laboratory before accepting a wax-content claim.

Jars, lids and sea-freight packing

Treat the jar as part of the candle design. Ask the glass supplier for annealing evidence and thermal-shock test results for the actual jar supplied, then assess it with the final candle combination. Check rims and bases for chips and cracks, and agree tolerances for dimensions, weight and lid fit. See glass candle jars for the jar and lid specification.

Check that lids fit consistently and that coatings, seals and liners remain satisfactory after storage trials. For sea freight, specify individual protection and inner dividers that prevent jars touching, with cushioning above and below. Ask the packer to propose carton strength for the packed weight and stacking arrangement, then trial the complete shipping pack.

Include hot-container conditions in the transport trial: look for softened wax, fragrance leakage, shifted wicks and stained retail boxes. Agree the packing method and acceptable damage before shipment, and check the approved arrangement during quality inspection.

Settle GB hazard labelling before printing

For Great Britain, use GB CLP when assessing the final candle formulation. HSE confirms that GB CLP applies to GB-based manufacturers, importers, downstream users and distributors supplying the GB market. Where the fragrance makes the finished candle classified as hazardous, settle the required hazard labelling before printing. The British Candlemakers Federation guidance makes the assessment specific to each formulation and the concentration in the final candle.

Ask the fragrance supplier for the safety data sheet and hazard information applicable to the proportion used in your candle. Do not simply copy the label for undiluted fragrance oil. As a separate purchasing request, ask for an IFRA conformity certificate for the selected fragrance, with candle use and your proposed loading checked by the supplier. Settle the GB classification and label separately, using the applicable fragrance data; see UK REACH for importers.

Own-label samples and minimum orders

Sampling usually starts with scent selection and trials of fragrance loading and wick size. Compare the scent unlit and during burning, then burn-test the final wax, fragrance, wick and container combination through its intended use. Keep written results and an approved reference sample. Before bulk production, approve a pre-production sample with the agreed jar, lid, label and retail packaging.

Ask what sets the minimum order for each part of the range. A fragrance batch, a custom jar or lid finish, and printed boxes may each have a different minimum. Ask whether the minimum applies per scent, jar colour or artwork, whether stock components are available, and whether several scents can share the same jar and box. Agree who owns and stores any unused packaging. The small-orders service explains the options for a smaller launch.

Budget for the whole shipment

Using the existing table's 0% duty entry for 3406 00 00 00, duty is not the main cost to budget for. Include product, packing, testing, freight and clearance in the landed-price comparison. Glass jars make candles heavy for their value, so freight can take a large share of the total. Ask for packed carton dimensions, gross weight and the proposed shipping arrangement before comparing factory quotes.

Budget import VAT at the standard rate of 20%. HMRC bases import VAT on the customs value plus any duty and relevant incidental expenses, including packing, transport and insurance to the first UK destination, and onward transport to a further UK destination known at importation. Avoid counting costs twice where they are already included in the customs value. Zero duty does not remove import VAT; see UK import duty and VAT.