Sourcing drawing chalk from China

Drawing chalk duty and classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 9609 covers pencils, crayons, leads, pastels, drawing charcoals and writing, drawing and tailors' chalks. Drawing chalk falls within the residual line 9609 90 90 00, carrying 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing measure, suspension or attached import control.

Pastels and drawing charcoals carry 2% under 9609 90 10 00. A factory's description of a stick as drawing chalk is insufficient to distinguish it from a pastel. Compare the formulation and intended use with the soft drawing pastels guide. The table shows chalk formats within the same residual line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

Send the formulation, photographs, intended drawing surface and retail packaging to your customs broker before shipment. Use the commodity code guide to confirm the declaration, particularly for products supplied with holders or other art materials.

Specify the chalk and drawing surface

Specify the mineral base, binder and pigments, stick shape, dimensions, hardness, colour assortment and intended surface. Approve samples on the paper, board or pavement your customers will use. Agree expectations for coverage, blending, dust, erasure and staining. Ask the factory to identify formulation changes before making replacement batches.

For consumer drawing chalk in Great Britain, confirm applicable general product safety requirements with the relevant authority. For chalk designed or intended for play by children under 14, ask the relevant authority to confirm whether the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 apply and what safety assessment, declaration and marking requirements follow. Agree the assessment and supporting tests with your testing and certification provider before approving packaging.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small-business order of assorted drawing chalk packs under 9609 90 90 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £4,500, so it is £900. 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

Colour and coverage: draw with each colour on the agreed surface and compare coverage, shade and blending with the approved sample.

Hardness and dust: check whether sticks crumble in normal handling, scratch the surface or release more loose powder than the sample.

Breakage and packing: open cartons from different positions, inspect stick ends and dividers, and check whether powder from broken sticks contaminates other colours.

Product and documents: match the supplied formulation, colour assortment and packaging to the approved order; for toys, check the declaration of conformity and CE or UKCA marking.

What goes wrong

Chalk can arrive broken despite an intact outer carton. Loose dividers allow sticks to knock together, while weak sticks turn into powder during handling. Excess binder can make marks pale or difficult to blend; inconsistent pigment mixing produces different shades within the same pack.

A sample that performs well on a chalkboard may scratch paper or stain paving. Test the actual intended surface, retain approved colour samples and compare arrival samples before distribution. Include these checks in the inspection brief.

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.