Sourcing dartboards from China

UK duty on dartboards

Heading 9504 covers table and parlour games alongside billiards, consoles and payment-operated games. Ordinary dartboards sit within the other-games line, 9504 90 80 00. Payment-operated dart machines and their parts have separate lines. For the wider heading, see pool tables. Confirm the commodity code from the finished product, its payment mechanism and any screen.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, the selected dartboard-related lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions for these lines. Import VAT is separate from customs duty.

The ordinary-games line attaches ivory and CITES import controls, as well as export controls and a cultural-goods export licence measure. Specify materials without ivory. Listed ivory needs registration or an exemption application before sale or hire. For CITES-listed materials from China, confirm the applicable permits and restrictions with your customs broker before shipment; the tariff entry alone does not establish which documents your board needs.

Specify the playing surface and mounting

Choose sisal, wound paper, magnetic or electronic construction. Write down diameter, thickness, weight, backing material, scoring layout, colours, wire profile, number-ring attachment and compatible darts. For sisal boards, agree fibre density and dart retention against an approved sample. Specify the mounting bracket, fasteners and packing that protects the face and edge.

For electronic boards, agree tip compatibility, scoring behaviour, display, sound, power source and replacement segments. Ask the testing adviser to assess the finished configuration before production. Consumer boards must be safe in normal and reasonably foreseeable use. Children's magnetic or soft-tip games need an age-and-design assessment against toy rules; use testing and certification to plan the evidence.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 500 dartboards, illustrative order under 9504 90 80 00, invoiced at £6,500 free on board, with £1,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £7,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,500, so it is £1,500. 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

Face: compare colours and scoring divisions with the approved sample; check loose fibres, cracks, raised wires and damaged edges.

Play: check dart retention and removal with the agreed darts; on electronic boards, test scoring across the segments and check missed or repeated registrations.

Mounting: fit the supplied bracket and fasteners to a suitable test surface; check rotation, movement, backing damage and secure attachment.

Packing: open packed cartons and check face protection, moisture damage, accessories, mounting instructions and product identification against the order.

What goes wrong

Reject uneven playing surfaces, loose wire dividers, distorted number rings and brackets that let the board move during play. Electronic boards can misread hits or accept tips that jam in the segments. Keep an approved sample and agree the functional inspection method before paying the balance.

For magnetic games, check that dart tips and magnets remain attached during the agreed tests. Do not treat an attractive sample as proof of safety or approve a material substitution without reassessment. Compare delivered stock with shipment inspection records using the quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification.