Sourcing feathers and down from China
Duck and goose feathers and down from China, raw or washed, pay 0% UK duty with no anti-dumping duty, but the tariff puts a veterinary control on them, so the animal by-product documents must be settled before shipping. Down is bought on down content, fill power, cleanliness and oxygen number, tested to the BS EN feather and down methods. Cambridge China Bridge sources down.
Duck and goose down and feathers from China pay 0% UK duty with a veterinary control. Down content, fill power, cleanliness and traceability, with an example.
Zero duty with a veterinary control
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, raw feathers and down of a kind used for stuffing (0505 10 10 00), washed and processed feathers and down (0505 10 90 00) and other feathers and bird skins (0505 90 00 00) carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. All three carry a veterinary control.
Feathers and down that are not for human consumption are animal by-products under [retained Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2009/1069/contents). Untreated feathers need more documents than those washed and treated in a way the rules recognise, so ask your broker what the consignment needs before it ships. Filled duvets, pillows and sleeping bags are covered in our bedding guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feathers and down for stuffing, raw | 0505 10 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Feathers and down for stuffing, processed | 0505 10 90 00 | 0% | None |
| Other feathers and bird skins | 0505 90 00 00 | 0% | None |
Standards, labelling and welfare
The feather and down industry tests to a family of BS EN methods: composition by BS EN 12131, cleanliness by the oxygen number of BS EN 1162 and the turbidity of BS EN 1884, and hygiene requirements in BS EN 12935. A duvet sold as down-filled should state the composition under BS EN 12934, so the down content you buy has to support the claim on the finished label.
Many UK retailers require down certified to the Responsible Down Standard or an equivalent, which audits the farms against live-plucking and force-feeding. Ask for the certificate and transaction certificates for each lot if your customers need the claim.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 5 tonnes of washed white duck down, 90% down content, commodity code 0505 10 90 00, bought for £150,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance, so £153,000 is the value customs works from. No duty is due on processed down; import VAT at 20% of £153,000 is £30,600. If you are VAT-registered, that VAT is normally reclaimable. Duvets and pillows filled with the down are in heading 9404 instead. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.
What goes wrong
Down lots fail on content, cleanliness and smell. The down cluster content is lower than invoiced because feathers or fibre have been blended in; fill power is below the grade; poorly washed down carries dust, oil and bacteria and smells when it gets damp; and down from a lot without welfare certification is mixed into a certified shipment.
Test composition, fill power, oxygen number, turbidity and fat and moisture content on samples drawn from several bales at an accredited laboratory, compare them with the contract and the pre-shipment sample, check the welfare and transaction certificates against the bale marks, and inspect bales for damp and damage before loading.
Cambridge China Bridge sources duck and goose down and feathers for bedding and outerwear makers, including a second source when an existing supplier's quality slips. See our second-supplier service.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on down from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, raw and processed feathers and down carried 0% from China, with a veterinary control.
Do feathers need veterinary documents?
The tariff lists a veterinary control because they are animal by-products; untreated feathers need more documents than washed and treated ones.
How is down quality measured?
By down content, fill power, oxygen number and turbidity, tested to the BS EN feather and down methods.
What is the Responsible Down Standard?
A certification that audits farms against live-plucking and force-feeding, which many UK retailers require.