Sourcing ceramic house numbers from China

0% duty on relevant ceramic lines

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 6914 covers other ceramic articles. For ceramic house numbers within this heading, the relevant lines distinguish porcelain or china, hand-made common pottery and other ceramics. All carry 0% duty from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension listed.

Confirm the body material, manufacturing method and finished function with your broker using photographs and a sample specification. See finding your commodity code. Stoneware and terracotta share the general other-ceramics code in the table where appropriate. For the wider heading, see ceramic plant labels.

The tariff attaches cat and dog fur and waste import controls. Imports of cat and dog fur products are banned. For waste entering England under notification controls, shipment requires consent from the Environment Agency and other competent authorities involved. Ask your broker to confirm applicability and documentary requirements for your China shipment. The snapshot also lists cultural-object export licensing and fur and waste export controls; flag these separately if planning re-export.

Specify the lettering, ceramic body and fixings

Specify individual numerals or a complete address plaque, approved lettering artwork, character alignment, contrast, body material, glaze colour and finish. Agree finished dimensions, flatness, fixing-hole positions and the mounting method. Approve a physical sample showing the actual glaze and lettering together.

Consumer products supplied in Great Britain must be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. For this product, assess sharp edges, breakage and the risk of a plaque falling. Agree suitable fixings and installation instructions. Request water-absorption and freeze-thaw results for the supplied body and finish before accepting an outdoor durability claim.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small retailer order of glazed stoneware house-number plaques under 6914 90 00 90, invoiced at £4,500 free on board, with £700 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,200, so it is £1,040. 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

Lettering: compare every ordered address and numeral with approved artwork; check orientation, spacing and legibility against the glaze.

Body and glaze: check flatness, chipped edges, cracks, pinholes and crazing; compare colour with the approved physical sample.

Mounting: measure hole positions and trial the supplied fixings; check that tightening does not crack the ceramic or leave the plaque rocking.

Packing and arrival: check individual separation, corner protection and carton identification; unpack samples on arrival and record cracks, chips and missing fixings. See quality inspection explained.

What goes wrong

A correct-looking sample can hide mounting problems: firing shrinkage moves the holes, a bowed back prevents flush fitting, or screws load an unprotected ceramic edge. Lettering can also lose contrast against a changed glaze. Trial the complete mounting arrangement and approve lettering on the finished ceramic.

Outdoor failures include water entering cracks and frost damage around holes and edges. Transit failures include plaques rubbing together and corners taking the carton load. Agree weathering and packing checks before production, then compare the shipment with the approved sample and test evidence.

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.