Sourcing dressed fox furskins from China

Fox skin duty depends on assembly

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 October 2026, heading 4302 covers tanned or dressed furskins, including unassembled pieces and skins assembled without other materials. Whole unassembled fox skins under 4302 19 15 00 and loose pieces under 4302 20 00 00 carry 0% duty from China. Dropped skins and other assembled fox skins carry 2%. The selected lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no tariff suspension.

The selected lines attach restrictions on entry into free circulation and CITES import and export controls. Confirm their application to the exact fox species with your customs broker; listed species need the applicable CITES paperwork. The pieces and assembled lines also carry seal-product controls, and pieces and dropped skins carry cat and dog fur controls. Ask your broker to confirm any prohibitions or exceptions under the cat and dog fur and seal-product controls. These shared-code controls should be checked against the actual species supplied.

Loose pieces also carry waste import and export controls. Have your broker confirm the requirements if buying cuttings. Confirm the commodity code from species, dressing and assembly rather than the supplier's product name. For the wider heading, see the dressed mink furskins guide.

Specify fox species, usable skin and dressing

Ask for the scientific species name, farming or wild origin and traceable source records. State whether you want whole skins, loose tails or cuttings, dropped skins or assembled plates. Agree whether heads, tails and paws are included and how skin length and usable width are measured.

Specify hair length, underfur density, guard-hair appearance, natural or dyed colour, leather softness and permitted holes or repairs. Approve a physical sample showing the flesh side as well as the fur. For assembled plates, agree dimensions, seam layout and hair direction.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 300 whole dressed fox skins for a small garment workshop, illustrative only under 4302 19 15 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,500, so it is £1,900. 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

Species and records: compare the invoice, source records and samples; arrange independent species identification where authenticity is uncertain.

Usable skin: measure against the agreed method and inspect the flesh side for holes, repairs, brittle areas and weak seams.

Hair and dressing: check shedding with an agreed pull or brushing test, then assess softness, tearing, odour and signs of mould.

Colour and assembly: compare skins with the approved sample in daylight, check dye rub-off and inspect matching and hair direction across joined pieces. Use the quality inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

A lot can match the colour sample yet contain smaller usable skins, sparse underfur or brittle leather. Mixed shades and reversed hair direction become more visible after cutting or sewing. Record acceptance criteria against the approved sample and inspect before shipment.

Another failure is treating all fox-labelled stock as equivalent for customs. Mixed-species cuttings, unclear source records or an assembled shipment declared as loose skins can undermine the declaration. If cuttings are waste subject to notification controls and are imported into England, the exporter must apply to the dispatch country's competent authority for consent. Resolve the waste status and applicable controls before ordering.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.