Sourcing Christmas baubles from China

Glass and plastic baubles pay different duty

Heading 9505 covers festive, carnival and other entertainment articles. Christmas baubles fall within its Christmas articles branch, split between glass and other materials. The table repeats these tariff lines for common bauble variants, rather than suggesting each finish has a separate code. For the wider heading, see artificial Christmas trees.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, glass Christmas articles carry 0% duty for goods from China, and Christmas articles of other materials carry 2%. Neither bauble line lists an anti-dumping or countervailing duty or a suspension. Both attach cat and dog fur import and export controls: products containing that fur are banned from import and export. Specify no such fur in decorative trims.

Both lines also list a DCMS Export Licence measure. This is an export measure; ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance if you later export the goods. Confirm the material and intended Christmas use through finding your commodity code, and use UK import duty and VAT when budgeting the shipment.

Specify the shell, finish and hanging attachment

State whether the shell is glass or plastic, its diameter and shape, the cap material, hanging loop and finished weight. For fillable baubles, specify the opening, closure and how the halves fit. Approve physical samples showing the colour, gloss, glitter coverage, print position and any visible mould seam. Keep the approved sample as the reference for production.

Consumer baubles supplied in Great Britain must be safe. Assess broken glass, sharp cap edges and detachable decorations when reviewing the design. Agree protective compartments and the retail pack before production. If a fillable bauble is intended to hold sweets directly, ask the relevant authority to confirm the applicable food-contact requirements and request evidence from the supplier that its plastic is suitable for that use; consult the site's published hamper packaging guide.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 5,000 boxed sets of decorated plastic Christmas baubles under 9505 10 90 00, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £5,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £35,000. Duty at 2% is £700. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £35,700, so it is £7,140. Import taxes total £7,840; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £700 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Shell and edges: check glass for cracks and chips, plastic for split seams, and caps for sharp exposed edges. Open sample packs on arrival rather than judging only the outer cartons.

Hanging attachment: check that caps remain seated and loops stay attached during an agreed handling test. Compare the attachment with the approved sample.

Finish and closure: compare colours under the same light, check glitter shedding and rub marks, and repeatedly open and close fillable samples to check alignment.

Packing: check dividers, movement inside retail packs and damage after an agreed transport test. Record breakage by product and carton through quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A bauble can match the sample colour but arrive scratched because neighbouring pieces rub together. Glass shells can crack around the neck, caps can pull out, and glitter can transfer onto other finishes. Clear fillable baubles can have distorted halves that leave gaps or spring open.

Agree acceptance criteria for these defects before production and inspect packed goods as well as loose samples. Keep damaged stock separate on arrival, photograph the packaging and affected pieces, and trace the issue to the relevant carton before discussing replacement with the supplier.

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.