Sourcing finished pigskin leather from China

Duty and controls for finished pigskin leather

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 4113 covers leather further prepared after tanning or crusting, without wool or hair, whether or not split, excluding leather of heading 4114. Finished pigskin falls under the swine line, 4113 20 00 00. The table shows buying variants sharing that commodity line.

The supplied tariff record gives 0% duty for goods from China and records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty for this line. Its 0.00 % autonomous suspension applies only to pig grain nappa leather for shoe manufacture, excluding mixtures, preparations and products made up of different components containing it. CITES import and export controls are attached. Confirm their application with your customs broker; listed species require permits.

Confirm the species, processing stage and finish using finding your commodity code. Do not classify a completed bag or shoe simply as leather material. See the finished speciality leather guide for the wider heading.

Specify the pigskin layer, finish and cutting yield

State pigskin explicitly and agree grain or split leather, smooth or suede finish, tanning process, thickness tolerance, colour reference and softness. Define usable cutting area separately from total skin area. Agree how holes, scars, thin edges and loose grain affect acceptance. Keep an approved sample for each finish and colour.

Ask for evidence that tanning is complete. Official guidance exempts specified treated hides from veterinary checks on entry to Great Britain; confirm with APHA whether the actual treatment qualifies. UK REACH restrictions can limit chemicals in articles. Brief the laboratory on the intended use, particularly skin contact, and agree relevant testing for chromium and azo dyes through testing and certification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: A trial batch of finished pigskin hides for a leather workshop, illustrative under 4113 20 00 00, invoiced at £4,113 free on board, with £390 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,503. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £4,503, so it is £900.60. 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

Identity: compare the delivered grain, flesh side and finish with the approved pigskin sample; investigate substitutions.

Cutting yield: measure thickness across usable areas and map holes, scars, thin edges and loose grain against the agreed acceptance criteria.

Finish: check shade consistency, wet and dry colour transfer, coating adhesion and cracking when folded.

Packing and records: check for dampness, mould and staining; match bundle identifiers, quantities and test reports to the delivered batch.

What goes wrong

A sample cut from a clean central area can hide poor yield across whole skins. Mixed dye lots can produce shade differences, while a heavy surface coating can conceal defects until folding or cutting. Keep disputed bundles separate, photograph defects and compare them with the agreed sample before releasing the leather for production.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.