Sourcing carpet fitting knives from China

Duty on knives, blades and handles

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 8211 covers knives with cutting blades and their blades. For carpet fitting products from China, fixed-blade and non-fixed-blade knives carry 8% duty, separate blades 6% and separate base metal handles 2%. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing measures and no suspensions.

The tariff attaches ivory import control to the fixed-blade knife line and CITES import control to all selected lines. For ivory-containing goods, confirm the requirement and any registration or exemption reference with your customs broker. Listed-species materials may require CITES permits; confirm the material, species and requirements for the shipment from China before ordering. Specify steel blades and metal or plastic handles, and ask the factory to identify every material.

Confirm the commodity code from the finished knife, its blade movement and whether blades or handles arrive separately. A replaceable blade alone does not explain how the assembled knife should be classified. See the retractable utility knife guide for the wider product family.

Specify the blade seat and carpet cut

Specify hook or straight blades, blade outline, thickness, locating slots, steel grade and heat treatment. Supply a drawing of the blade seat and approve samples with the replacement blades you intend to stock. Agree exposed cutting depth, handle shape, grip material and the blade-changing method.

Test samples on your intended carpet pile and backing, including cuts at seams and edges. Check whether the hook catches fibres, the blade drags through backing or the grip slips during a pull cut. For knives supplied as consumer products in Great Britain, general product safety rules require safe products.

Exclude banned designs, including flick, gravity and disguised knives. Most knives cannot be sold to anyone under 18; online sellers must verify age and arrange delivery accordingly. Review the actual opening mechanism before approving a new design.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 3,000 replacement carpet knife blades（illustrative order） under 8211 94 00 00, invoiced at £4,500 free on board, with £450 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,950. Duty at 6% is £297. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,247, so it is £1,049.40. Import taxes total £1,346.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £297 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Blade fit: fit the approved replacement blade and check seating, locating slots, cutting depth and sideways movement.

Retention: cut the agreed carpet samples and check that the blade does not pull free, rotate or retract unexpectedly; inspect the clamp and fastener afterwards.

Handle and mechanism: check grip security, casting burrs, handle closure and repeated blade changes; check the slider or folding lock where fitted.

Packing: check sheaths or guards, secure spare-blade storage and packs that prevent edges cutting through; compare contents, handling instructions and labels with the approved artwork.

What goes wrong

Replacement blades can look interchangeable yet have different locating slots or thicknesses. A loose blade seat lets the edge twist through backing, while a weak clamp can release the blade during a pull cut. Poor heat treatment can leave edges that blunt quickly or chip.

Keep an approved knife and blade together as the reference sample. Inspect assembled knives and spare blades from the shipment, rather than accepting separate component samples. Include cutting and blade-changing checks in the inspection brief.

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.