Sourcing hamper baskets, boxes and ribbon from China
A hamper range pays a different UK duty on almost every line: wicker, bamboo and rattan baskets 2%, paperboard gift boxes 0%, metal baskets 0% or 2% depending on the code, and woven ribbon 6%, with no anti-dumping duty on any of them from China. Quote the whole range at once so sizes, colours and cartons match. Cambridge China Bridge sources hamper packaging and consolidates it into one shipment.
Wicker baskets pay 2%, gift boxes 0% and woven ribbon 6%, so a hamper range pays a different rate line by line. What a hamper business checks and quotes.
One hamper, several duty rates
A hamper business rarely buys one product. It buys a basket, a box or a tin, ribbon, a window or a lid, filler and often decorations, and the UK tariff treats nearly every one of those differently. The rates below were read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026 for goods from China, and none of the codes carries an anti-dumping measure.
The expensive surprise is ribbon. Woven ribbon sits among the narrow woven fabrics at 6%, three times the rate on the basket it is tied around, so a range that uses a lot of it should price it as its own line rather than folding it into the packaging. Confirm the commodity code for each item, and our duty calculator will total the range.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basketwork of bamboo | 4602 11 00 90 | 2% | None |
| Basketwork of rattan | 4602 12 00 90 | 2% | None |
| Basketwork of other vegetable materials (willow wicker) | 4602 19 90 90 | 2% | None |
| Household articles of iron or steel, other (a metal basket) | 7323 99 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Other articles of iron or steel wire | 7326 20 00 90 | 2% | None |
| Folding cartons and boxes of non-corrugated paperboard | 4819 20 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Cartons and boxes of corrugated paperboard | 4819 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Narrow woven fabrics of cotton (ribbon) | 5806 31 00 00 | 6% | None |
| Christmas articles of materials other than glass (fillable plastic baubles) | 9505 10 90 00 | 2% | None |
| Christmas articles of glass | 9505 10 10 00 | 0% | None |
Quote the range together, not item by item
The commonest mistake with hamper packaging is sourcing it piece by piece from whoever quotes each item cheapest. The basket from one factory, the box from another and the insert from a third will not agree on internal dimensions, and a box that is even slightly too tight for the basket is a range that does not work. Give every supplier the same drawing of how the pieces nest, with internal dimensions, and ask for samples that are assembled together before any order is placed.
Colour is the second trap. A ribbon, a printed box and a painted metal basket are made by three different processes, and the same colour name comes out three different ways. Specify colours by a reference such as a Pantone number, approve physical samples side by side, and keep the approved set as the reference for inspection. The custom printed packaging guide covers print on the boxes themselves.
Fillable ornaments and anything that touches food
Clear baubles and fillable ornaments are sold for filling with sweets as often as with trinkets. If the product is intended to come into contact with food, it is a food contact material, and the supplier must be able to show that the plastic is suitable for that use. Ask the question in writing before you order, and see the food contact materials guide for what the documentation should contain.
The same applies to a basket liner, tissue or shred that sits directly against unwrapped food. Where the food is wrapped, the packaging around it is not in contact with it, but a hamper that includes loose chocolates or baked goods puts the liner in that position.
Packaging responsibility on the UK side
A hamper business that supplies packaging in the UK may have obligations under the packaging extended producer responsibility rules. Under regulation 24 of the 2024 regulations, the threshold for a large producer is turnover of more than £2,000,000 together with more than 50 tonnes of packaging supplied, and for a small producer turnover of more than £1,000,000 together with more than 25 tonnes. Knowing the weight of each basket, box and filler you import makes that assessment straightforward, so ask each factory for unit weights by material as part of the quotation.
Cambridge China Bridge quotes a hamper range as one project: the pieces are matched to one drawing, sampled together, inspected together and consolidated into one shipment with a single landed price. We confirm quantities, colours, sizes and delivery first, so every factory quotes the same thing and the prices can be compared. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What UK duty applies to wicker hamper baskets from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, basketwork of bamboo, rattan or other vegetable materials such as willow carried 2% duty from China, with no anti-dumping duty. Paperboard gift boxes carried 0%.
Why is ribbon charged more than the basket?
Woven ribbon is classed as a narrow woven fabric, which carried 6% duty from China on 25 September 2026, compared with 2% on basketwork. On a ribbon-heavy range, price the ribbon as its own line.
Are fillable baubles a food contact material?
They are if they are intended to be filled with food such as sweets. Then the supplier must be able to show the plastic is suitable for food contact, so ask in writing before ordering.
Do hamper businesses have packaging EPR obligations?
They may. Under regulation 24 of the 2024 packaging regulations, a small producer has turnover above £1,000,000 and supplies more than 25 tonnes of packaging, and a large producer above £2,000,000 and 50 tonnes.