Ceramic and porcelain tiles from China
Ceramic and porcelain floor and wall tiles and mosaics from China pay 4% UK duty plus anti-dumping duty: 69.70% for most exporters, lower rates from 13.90% for named exporters with the required invoice. Tiles over 0.36 square metres or with an edge over 600 mm are excluded until November 2027 unless heavily textured. Cambridge China Bridge sources tiles.
Porcelain and ceramic floor and wall tiles and mosaics from China pay 4% UK duty plus anti-dumping duty of up to 69.70%, with large-format tiles excluded.
4% duty plus anti-dumping duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, ceramic flags and paving, hearth or wall tiles, ceramic mosaic cubes and finishing ceramics, heading 6907, carried 4% on goods from China on all five lines, whatever the water absorption.
All five lines also carried a UK anti-dumping measure on China. The residual rate for exporters without their own additional code was 69.70%. Named exporters had rates from 13.90% to 36.50%, most at 30.60%, but only when the goods came with the invoice the measure requires; without it the 69.70% applied.
Tiles are excluded from the measure, at 0% anti-dumping duty until 24 November 2027, where an individual tile has a largest surface area over 0.36 square metres or an edge longer than 600 mm, unless the relief on its largest surface exceeds 3 mm. Large-format porcelain slabs are therefore outside it, while standard 600 by 600 mm tiles are not. Check the additional code for your exporter and tile size before ordering.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiles with water absorption not over 0.5% (porcelain) | 6907 21 00 00 | 4% | 69.70% residual; named exporters 13.90% to 36.50% with invoice; large-format excluded |
| Tiles with water absorption over 0.5% but not over 10% | 6907 22 00 00 | 4% | As above |
| Tiles with water absorption over 10% (wall tiles) | 6907 23 00 00 | 4% | As above |
| Mosaic cubes and the like | 6907 30 00 00 | 4% | As above |
| Finishing ceramics (edges, skirtings, trims) | 6907 40 00 00 | 4% | As above |
Construction product rules
Ceramic tiles are covered by the harmonised standard BS EN 14411, so under the retained Construction Products Regulation the manufacturer issues a declaration of performance and marks the product. The standard classifies tiles by forming method and water absorption and sets the tests, from the ISO 10545 series, for dimensions, breaking strength and frost resistance.
Floor tiles in public or wet areas are usually specified by slip resistance measured with the pendulum test to BS 7976, so ask for the result for the finish you are buying.
Specifying tiles
Specify size, thickness and rectified or not, water absorption group, surface finish and slip rating, colour and shade range, tolerance on size and flatness, frost resistance for outdoor use, and the matching trims. For large-format tiles, state the size precisely, because it decides whether the anti-dumping exclusion applies.
Worked duty example
Suppose, purely for illustration, you import a container of large-format porcelain tiles of 600 by 1,200 mm under 6907 21 00 00. At £20,000 free on board and £3,000 to ship and insure, the customs value is £23,000. Large-format porcelain tiles at 4% pay £920 of duty; VAT is then worked out on value plus duty, £23,920, giving £4,784. Of the £5,704 paid at import, only the £920 of duty stays a cost for a VAT-registered business. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.
The same value in standard-size tiles from an exporter without its own rate adds anti-dumping duty of 69.70% of the £23,000 customs value, £16,031, on top of the £920 duty, and import VAT is then 20% of £39,951, which is £7,990.20: the anti-dumping duty alone is most of the goods' value.
Inspection checklist
Dimensions and flatness: measure length, width, thickness, straightness of sides and flatness on sampled tiles against the tolerances in BS EN 14411 for the group, and lay out tiles to check lippage and joint width.
Absorption and strength: ask for water absorption and breaking strength results to ISO 10545-3 and ISO 10545-4 for the batch, and frost resistance to ISO 10545-12 where tiles will be used outside.
Shade and packing: check every carton shows the same shade and calibre code, compare shade across pallets in daylight, and check cartons are strapped on edge with corner protection.
What goes wrong
Tiles fail on duty, shade and size. Buyers price standard-size tiles without the 69.70% anti-dumping duty, or assume a large-format exclusion that the tile size does not meet, shades vary between cartons from different firings, tiles are bowed or out of calibre so joints and lippage show, and tiles crack in transit.
Confirm the anti-dumping position with the exporter's additional code and invoice before ordering, check shade and calibre codes, and measure flatness on samples. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources porcelain and ceramic tiles for merchants and contractors, including large-format slabs, and can plan full containers across several ranges. See container programmes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on porcelain tiles from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, porcelain tiles (6907 21 00 00) carried 4% from China plus anti-dumping duty of 69.70% for exporters without their own rate.
Are large-format tiles subject to anti-dumping duty?
No, until 24 November 2027: tiles over 0.36 square metres or with an edge over 600 mm are excluded unless their surface relief exceeds 3 mm.
Can I get a lower anti-dumping rate?
Named exporters have rates from 13.90% to 36.50%, but only with the invoice the measure requires.
What standard covers ceramic tiles?
BS EN 14411, with test methods from the ISO 10545 series.