Sourcing ceramic plant labels from China

Zero duty on ceramic plant labels

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 6914 covers other ceramic articles. For ceramic plant labels, distinguish porcelain, hand-made common pottery and other ceramic bodies. Stoneware and terracotta examples share the residual code in the table where appropriate. Confirm the material and manufacturing method with your broker using our commodity code guide.

All lines in the supplied tariff snapshot carry 0% duty for goods from China. It records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. Import VAT is separate from duty; see UK import duty and VAT.

The tariff attaches cat and dog fur and waste import controls. Cat and dog fur and products made from it are banned from import. For waste from China entering England under notification controls, the exporter must apply for consent to the dispatch country's competent authority. Ask your broker to confirm the waste control requirement for your shipment. The snapshot also lists cultural-object, fur and waste export measures.

Specify the body, lettering and stake

Specify the ceramic body, overall shape, stake length, thickness, insertion tip and writing area. Agree whether names are impressed, fired into the glaze, printed or added by the customer. Approve the plant-name list, spelling, lettering contrast and a physical colour sample. For reusable labels, agree the writing tool and cleaning method, then try them on the actual surface.

Consumer labels supplied in Great Britain must be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. Check handling risks from tips, chipped edges and brittle stakes. For outdoor orders, request water absorption and freeze-thaw results for the body and firing being supplied. Agree individual separation and support for the narrow stakes inside cartons. Compare material options in our wooden plant labels guide.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 4,000 stoneware plant labels; FOB value and freight are hypothetical under 6914 90 00 90, invoiced at £3,900 free on board, with £700 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,600. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £4,600, so it is £920. 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

Body and edges: check thickness and straightness against the approved sample; inspect for cracks, chips, sharp glaze runs and weak transitions between the head and stake.

Names and surface: compare every plant name with the approved artwork; check contrast, missing letters and glaze defects. Try the agreed writing and cleaning method on reusable labels.

Outdoor use: review the agreed water absorption and freeze-thaw results, and check whether lettering remains readable after wetting and cleaning.

Packing and arrival: check that stakes cannot knock together or press against carton walls. Open arrival samples, count broken pieces and record their position in the packing. Use our inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

A label can look sound in a photograph but have a hairline crack at the head-to-stake transition. Thin stakes may snap during insertion, glaze can obscure impressed names, and surface printing may rub away during cleaning. Missing separators can turn a carton of intact labels into chipped stock.

A glazed finish alone does not establish frost performance. Check the agreed outdoor evidence before approving the range, and repeat the lettering and packing checks when the factory changes the body, firing or decoration method. Keep a retained sample to compare with repeat deliveries.

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.