Sourcing carved jet ornaments from China

Duty on carved jet ornaments

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 9602 covers worked vegetable or mineral carving material and articles of these materials, alongside other moulded or carved goods. For carved jet ornaments classified here, both supplied commodity lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The extract lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duties and no suspensions.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches Veterinary control to both lines, with wording concerning products of animal origin. We could not verify a jet-specific requirement from official guidance. Ask your customs broker to confirm how the attached control should be addressed for the actual ornament, including any added materials.

The supplied extract contains only the hand-made and other lines shown above. Confirm the commodity code using the material declaration, photographs and manufacturing method. For wider heading context, see carved amber figurines.

Specify the jet, carving and finish

Describe the goods as carved jet ornaments for display. Specify natural jet rather than resin imitation, and ask the supplier to disclose coatings, fillers, glued repairs and attached components. Agree how material identity will be checked before approving production; appearance alone should not be your acceptance method.

Approve a reference sample and drawings covering dimensions, silhouette, carving depth, fine projections, underside finish and base stability. Agree acceptable surface variation, polish and repair visibility. Specify individual protective packing that keeps projecting details away from carton walls.

Consumer ornaments supplied in Great Britain must be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. Assess the finished design for sharp points, unstable bases and pieces that could detach during foreseeable handling. Use testing and certification support to define checks for the actual design.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 50 hand-made carved jet ornaments, illustrative order under 9602 00 00 10, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £590 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,090. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,090, so it is £618. 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

Material: compare the batch with the approved sample and material identification results; check for undeclared resin, coatings, fillers or repairs.

Carving and finish: inspect fine projections, recessed details and the underside for chips, cracks, tool marks, scratches and visible glue.

Stability and handling: place sampled ornaments on a level surface; check for rocking, sharp edges and loose attached parts.

Packing and arrival: open sampled cartons on arrival, inspect contact points for abrasion and breakage, and compare labels and quantities with the order. Use the quality inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

A polished sample can hide the issues that matter in production: imitation material, filled cracks, softened carving detail and repairs concealed by a coating. Set written acceptance criteria and retain the approved sample so the inspector can compare the shipment with what you bought.

Fine projections can arrive chipped when loose ornaments touch each other or press against the packaging. Approve the packed sample as well as the carving, and inspect unpacked pieces before releasing stock for sale.

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.