Sourcing engraved untoughened glass from China

Duty on engraved untoughened door panels

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 October 2026, heading 7006 covers glass of headings 7003, 7004 or 7005 that is engraved or otherwise worked, but not framed or fitted with other materials. Engraved untoughened door panels fall within the non-optical line, 7006 00 90 00. The table shows product variants sharing this code, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

The supplied tariff record gives 0% duty for goods from China across this heading. It lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls. This tariff position does not establish suitability for installation in a door.

Confirm the commodity code against the processing and supplied condition. Toughened or laminated safety glass belongs under heading 7007; framed glass needs classification by the finished article. See the wider worked-glass guide and the duty and VAT guide.

Specify the engraving and intended door installation

Agree the intended installation before selecting untoughened glass. Annealed glass breaks into sharp pieces, and door glazing where people could impact it usually needs toughened or laminated safety glass instead. England's Approved Document K identifies door glazing as an impact injury risk. Ask the project designer to confirm the proposed glass and installation before ordering.

Where the general product safety rules apply to consumer products supplied in Great Britain, the importer must ensure the product is safe before placing it on the market. Do not treat an approved decorative sample as evidence of impact safety.

Specify clear, low-iron or tinted glass, thickness and tolerances, finished dimensions, edge finish and any holes or cut-outs. Approve an engraving drawing showing the pattern, depth, position, engraved face and viewing direction. For paired panels, identify which designs are mirrored. Agree protective separators, edge protection and bracing inside crates.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 50 engraved untoughened glass door panels under 7006 00 90 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £1,404 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,904. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,904, so it is £780.80. 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 and fit: measure panel size, thickness, diagonals and any hole or cut-out positions against the approved drawing.

Engraving: compare pattern position, depth, line quality and orientation with the approved sample; check paired panels together.

Edges and surface: inspect for chips, shell-shaped defects, cracks, scratches and unwanted haze under agreed lighting.

Arrival and packing: check crate damage, separators and bracing; photograph broken pieces and keep affected panels apart. Use the inspection guide to brief the checks.

What goes wrong

The pattern can be engraved on the wrong face, reversed when viewed through the glass or misaligned across paired panels. Uneven engraving, scratches and chipped edges can spoil an otherwise correct design. Approve the viewing direction and edge finish on a physical sample, then compare production against it.

A more serious failure is ordering decorative annealed glass for a door installation that needs safety glass. Settle that choice before production. Separators and bracing also matter: panels rubbing together or moving inside a crate can arrive scratched or broken.

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.