Sourcing gel candles from China

Zero duty on finished gel candles

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 3406 covers candles, tapers and the like. Finished gel candles fall within this product family. The table shows gel-candle variants sharing the same commodity line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions. See the wider candles and scented candles guide.

The supplied tariff record gives 0% duty for goods from China under 3406 00 00 00. It lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control. Zero customs duty does not remove import VAT; budget at 20% and consult UK import duty and VAT.

Confirm the commodity code using the finished product description, composition and photographs. Describe a filled, wicked gel candle accurately. Empty jars bought separately are a different classification question, covered in the glass candle jars guide.

Specify the gel, wick and decorative inclusions

Specify the gel supplier and grade, composition, colour, clarity, acceptable bubbles, fill weight and fill level. Record the wick material, size, anchoring and position, together with the actual jar and any lid. For scented versions, agree the fragrance identity and loading and request evidence of compatibility with the selected gel. Keep an approved sample and prohibit substitutions without approval.

List every decorative inclusion by material, size and position. Ask the laboratory to assess the completed design through its intended burning use, including movement of inclusions, secondary ignition, wick movement and jar damage. Request storage and transport trials for clouding, oil separation and displacement. Treat dessert-style designs as a separate assessment of mistaken ingestion, especially by children.

For Great Britain, consumer products must be safe in normal and reasonably foreseeable use. Obtain burn results for the actual gel, fragrance, wick, inclusions and jar combination. For scented gel candles, obtain fragrance safety data and assess the finished formulation under GB CLP before approving any required hazard label. Arrange testing and certification support before printing packaging.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 18 cartons of unscented glass-jar gel candles; values are illustrative, not a quotation under 3406 00 00 00, invoiced at £2,200 free on board, with £1,168 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,368. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,368, so it is £673.60. 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

Gel appearance: compare clarity, colour, bubbles, fill level and visible separation with the approved sample; check for dirt and leaking oil.

Wick and inclusions: check centring, anchoring and decorative placement against the specification; select production samples for the agreed burn assessment.

Glass and packing: inspect rims and bases for chips or cracks, check lid fit and confirm dividers prevent glass contact. Repeat these checks on arrival through quality inspection.

Labels and records: check safety information and any applicable hazard label against approved artwork. For GB traceability, indicate the producer's name and address and the product reference or applicable batch on the product or packaging where reasonable to do so.

What goes wrong

A clear sample can become cloudy, collect bubbles or separate during storage. Use retained samples to investigate gel or fragrance substitutions. Check whether inclusions have shifted and whether the wick remains secure after transport; appearance approval alone cannot settle burning behaviour.

A changed wick or fragrance loading can alter the burn, while a different jar can invalidate the original assessment. Hold affected stock for investigation when production differs from the tested combination. Cracked jars, oil-stained boxes and missing dividers also need recording before accepting the shipment.

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.