Sourcing glass louvre blades from China

Duty on unframed annealed glass blades

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 7006 covers glass of headings 7003, 7004 or 7005 that is bent, edge-worked, engraved, drilled, enamelled or otherwise worked, but not framed or fitted with other materials. Unframed, edge-worked annealed glass louvre blades fall within the other worked glass line, 7006 00 90 00.

The supplied tariff snapshot records 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measures, suspensions or attached import controls. The table shows blade variants sharing the same commodity line, rather than separate tariff classifications.

Confirm the commodity code against the processing and condition at import. Toughened and laminated glass fall under heading 7007; framed assemblies need classification as the finished article. See the wider worked glass guide.

Specify the blade and its intended installation

State that the blades are annealed, then specify clear, low-iron or tinted glass, finished length, width, thickness and tolerances. Draw the edge profile and corner treatment. Identify which edges enter the holders, the insertion depth and the clearance needed for opening and closing. Approve a sample in the actual louvre mechanism.

Annealed glass breaks into sharp pieces. Where people could impact the glazing, safety glass is usually needed instead. Confirm suitability with the project designer before ordering replacement blades; copying an existing blade does not establish that annealed glass is suitable.

For building use, establish whether a designated standard or UK technical assessment covers the blades, since this determines whether the construction products regulatory framework applies. Request the corresponding performance declaration and supporting reports. Legitimately CE-marked construction products can continue to be supplied in Great Britain.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 8,000 edge-worked annealed glass louvre blades; illustrative order and values under 7006 00 90 00, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £26,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £26,500, so it is £5,300. 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

Dimensions: measure finished length, width, thickness and squareness against the drawing, keeping different blade sizes identifiable.

Edges and corners: inspect the entire perimeter for sharp areas, chips and shell-shaped fractures, especially where holders grip the glass.

Fit and appearance: trial-fit samples in the intended holders, operate the mechanism and check overlap, clearance, scratches, tint consistency and visible distortion.

Packing and arrival: check separators, end protection and crate bracing before dispatch; photograph damaged packs and inspect for cracked blades before releasing stock. Use the inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

Blades bind when finished dimensions ignore holder clearance. Uneven widths leave inconsistent overlaps, while chipped ends can fail at the gripping point. Agree acceptance criteria using the approved blade and mechanism, rather than relying on a photograph of the glass alone.

Packing that lets blades slide against each other causes scratched faces and damaged ends. Another failure is ordering annealed replacements without checking the installation's impact risk. Settle glass type before approving production, and record arrival damage by pack and blade size.

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.