Sourcing feather articles from China
Skins and other parts of birds with their feathers or down, feathers and down worked beyond cleaning, and articles of them such as feather boas, trims and fans, pay 0% UK duty from China under the single code 6701 00 00 00, with no anti-dumping duty. The tariff flags a veterinary control and a CITES control, so the animal by-product treatment and the species decide whether the goods can come in.
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0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 6701 covers skins and other parts of birds with their feathers or down, feathers, parts of feathers, down and articles thereof, other than goods of heading 0505 and worked quills and scapes. It is a single code carrying 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. It carries a veterinary control on imports from all third countries and a CITES import control.
Feathers and down that are only cleaned, disinfected or treated for preservation are heading 0505, see our feathers and down guide; artificial flowers and feathers of other materials are heading 6702; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skins and parts of birds with feathers or down, feathers, down and articles thereof | 6701 00 00 00 | 0% | None |
Veterinary, animal by-product and CITES rules
IIN ABP/22B sets the conditions for treated feathers and down. They must come from an establishment approved to export to Great Britain, have been treated with steam for 30 minutes or by another listed method, and travel with a commercial document signed by the exporter within 2 weeks of dispatch that gives the plant's approval number, the treatment and a statement that the birds and area were free of notifiable avian disease. Commercial imports must be pre-notified. Because heading 6701 carries a veterinary control, confirm with your broker and the Animal and Plant Health Agency which of these conditions apply to your finished articles before ordering.
Feathers of wild bird species listed under CITES need permits, so ask the supplier for the species of every feather and prefer farmed poultry, ostrich or other non-listed species with documented origin.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 2,000 dyed feather boas under 6701 00 00 00, invoiced at £5,000 free on board, with £400 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,400, so it is £1,080. 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: check feathers against the declared species.
Treatment: check the treatment evidence and plant approval.
Finish: check colour, shedding and trim attachment. See our quality inspection guide.
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What goes wrong
Feather article orders fail on paperwork and species. The feathers come from an unapproved plant, the treatment is not documented, a listed wild species is mixed in, and dyed feathers shed or bleed colour.
Cambridge China Bridge sources materials for UK manufacturers with documents agreed before shipment. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on feather boas and trims from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 6701, a single code, carried 0% from China.
Do feather articles need animal health paperwork?
The tariff flags a veterinary control on 6701; treated feathers come under IIN ABP/22B, so confirm with your broker what your articles need.
Are raw feathers in heading 6701?
No. Feathers only cleaned, disinfected or preserved are heading 0505.
Can I import feathers of wild birds?
Species listed under CITES need permits; check every species before ordering.