Sourcing cigarette and rolling papers from China
Cigarette paper from China, in booklets, tubes, narrow rolls and wider rolls, pays 0% UK duty on all four lines of heading 4813, with no anti-dumping duty. Own-brand rolling paper sellers check paper weight and porosity, burn rate, the gum strip, printing on booklets and packing, and keep product claims accurate.
Buying from China for a business? How our UK China sourcing agent service works · China sourcing agent for small orders and first imports
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 November 2026, heading 4813 covers cigarette paper, whether or not cut to size or in the form of booklets or tubes, split into booklets or tubes, rolls up to 5 cm wide, rolls over 5 cm up to 15 cm, and other. All four lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Smoking pipes are covered in our smoking pipes guide; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cigarette paper in booklets or tubes | 4813 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Cigarette paper in rolls up to 5 cm wide | 4813 20 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Cigarette paper in rolls over 5 cm up to 15 cm wide | 4813 90 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Other cigarette paper | 4813 90 90 00 | 0% | None |
Specifying papers
Specify paper fibre (wood pulp, hemp, rice or flax), basis weight, porosity, burn additives or unbleached, size (single wide, king size, slim), leaves per booklet, gum type (such as acacia), filter tips if included, and the booklet and display box print. Claims such as 'natural' or 'unbleached' must be true for the paper supplied.
Paper of chapter 48 is within the scope of the UK Timber Regulations, except bamboo-based and recovered products, so the business that first places the papers on the GB market must carry out due diligence on the pulp source. Hemp, flax or rice papers still need their fibre source documented.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 100,000 own-brand rolling paper booklets under 4813 10 00 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £600 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,600. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,600, so it is £1,920. 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
Paper: check weight, size and cut, and the gum strip adhesion.
Printing: check booklet and box artwork, colours and barcodes.
Packing: check counts per booklet and box, and protection from damp. See our quality inspection guide.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
Rolling paper orders fail on paper, gum and counts. Paper weight or porosity differs from the sample, gum does not stick, booklets are short of leaves, and print is off colour.
Cambridge China Bridge sources own-brand paper products for UK sellers, with samples and print proofs approved first; see product development.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on rolling papers from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 November 2026, cigarette paper booklets and tubes under 4813 10 00 00 carried 0% from China.
How is cigarette paper in rolls classified?
By width: up to 5 cm, over 5 cm up to 15 cm, and other.
What should I check on rolling papers?
Paper weight and porosity, size, gum adhesion, leaves per booklet and print.
Can I call papers natural or unbleached?
Only if the paper supplied is, so check the paper specification against the claim.