Sourcing insulating rubber gloves from China

Duty and the rubber-glove suspension

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 4015 covers apparel and clothing accessories of vulcanised rubber other than hard rubber. Electrical insulating rubber gloves are relevant to the other-gloves line, 4015 19 00 00. This is the only relevant commodity line in the supplied tariff data.

The line has a 2% third-country duty for Chinese goods and a 0.00% autonomous tariff suspension restricted to other rubber gloves falling under this code. Its footnote excludes mixtures, preparations or products made up of different components containing these products. Ask your customs broker to confirm eligibility for the exact construction. The supplied data records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no attached import controls on this line.

Confirm the material, construction and protective purpose using finding your commodity code. For the wider heading, see rubber household cleaning gloves. A shared tariff code does not establish electrical protective performance.

Specify electrical protection and the exact glove

Specify the intended electrical task, claimed protection class and operating voltage, rubber formulation, size range, cuff length and shape, flexibility and compatibility with any outer protective glove. Agree the exact model and packing method. Request electrical test reports that identify that model and production batch, rather than a report for a different glove.

For sale in Great Britain, the importer must check the manufacturer's conformity assessment and technical documentation, the relevant marking, declaration of conformity and identification marks. CE or UKCA marking may be used under the applicable route. Importers must also provide their name and postal address on the glove, or permitted alternative location, and ensure instructions and safety information are in clear English.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 2,000 pairs; base-duty example before any suspension under 4015 19 00 00, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £42,000. Duty at 2% is £840. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £42,840, so it is £8,568. Import taxes total £9,408; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £840 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Model and markings: compare the delivered model, claimed protection class, size and batch identification with the approved sample, order and supporting documents.

Rubber condition: inspect fingers, palms and cuffs for pinholes, cuts, cracks, embedded particles, tackiness and distorted areas. Check both gloves in each sampled pair.

Electrical evidence: match the batch test records to the goods and arrange competent electrical testing against the agreed specification. Treat appearance checks as separate from electrical performance testing.

Packing and instructions: check that gloves have not been sharply folded or damaged in transit, pairs are correctly matched, and the declaration, English instructions and importer details are present.

What goes wrong

A supplier may substitute a general-purpose rubber glove, provide a certificate for another model, or ship a batch whose test records cannot be traced to the goods. A printed voltage claim is a purchasing claim to verify against the supporting evidence.

Creased cuffs, punctures, contamination and inconsistent sizing can make an otherwise approved sample a poor guide to the delivered batch. Agree rejection criteria and an independent testing plan before ordering, then hold discrepant stock while the supplier and testing provider resolve the evidence.

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