Sourcing dressage whips from China

Dressage whip duty: 2%

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6602 covers walking sticks, seat-sticks, whips, riding crops and similar goods. Dressage whips fall within this family. Both hand-made and other goods from China carry 2% duty, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no duty suspension recorded. The table repeats the available codes for different grip specifications; these are not separate tariff subdivisions.

The tariff attaches CITES, seal-product and torture-goods import controls. Check natural materials for CITES coverage and arrange applicable permits before shipment. For seal materials, confirm import eligibility with your customs broker; commercial imports require a seal catch certificate. Goods covered by the torture-goods prohibition cannot be imported. Avoid unusual lash designs or decorative spikes without a broker's review. The tariff also flags CITES and torture-goods export controls; confirm these before onward export.

Ask your customs broker to confirm whether the manufacturing process supports the hand-made line, using the product specification and production details. Confirm the commodity code before ordering. For the wider product family, see riding crops from China.

Specify the shaft, grip and lash

Specify overall length, whether the measurement includes the lash, shaft material, taper, flexibility, balance, grip diameter and wrapping material. Define the lash material and attachment, handle cap, colours and branding. Keep an approved sample for comparison with production. If customers intend competition use, ask them to identify the organiser's current equipment rules before approving the length.

Consumer dressage whips sold in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Agree checks for exposed fibres, sharp caps, loose grips and detached lashes. Identify leather and wood materials precisely, and ask for supporting material records. Approve the packing method so long shafts arrive straight and lash ends do not snag.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 3,000 dressage whips, illustrative order only under 6602 00 00 90, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,900. Duty at 2% is £198. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £10,098, so it is £2,019.60. Import taxes total £2,217.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £198 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Shaft: compare length, straightness, taper and flex with the approved sample; inspect for cracks, exposed fibres and permanent bending.

Grip: check wrapping tension, cap finish and resistance to twisting or sliding; rub the surface with a damp cloth to check colour transfer.

Lash: check attachment security, fraying and consistent finish; flex the junction and compare its movement with the approved sample.

Packing and identification: check shafts are supported, lash ends are protected, and product references, material descriptions and carton contents match the order.

What goes wrong

A whip can match the photograph while feeling different in the hand. A changed shaft core alters flex and balance; loose wrapping rotates during use; caps pull away; lash joints fray or detach. Unsupported shafts can arrive bent. Put the approved sample and agreed flex, fixing and packing checks into the inspection brief.

Unidentified leather or wood makes material-control checks difficult. Resolve material descriptions and customs questions before dispatch, then compare arrival samples with the retained sample. See quality inspection explained.

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.