Sourcing glass cosmetic jars from China

UK duty on glass cosmetic jars

Heading 7010 covers glass containers used to convey or pack goods and glass closures. For cosmetic packaging, distinguish colourless jars, coloured jars and standalone glass lids. The wider heading also includes specialist containers: see pharmaceutical glass vials.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 October 2026, all selected lines carried 0% ordinary duty on goods from China. The colourless and coloured jar lines also carried 52.97% residual provisional anti-dumping duty and an anti-dumping or countervailing registration control. No suspensions or countervailing duties are recorded. Named exporters may qualify for 24.65% to 26.87% with the signed invoice declaration. Standalone glass closures are excluded from that anti-dumping measure.

Covered Chinese jars must be registered by HMRC when declared under the listed codes. Ask your customs broker to check the exporter, invoice declaration and registration treatment before shipment. Confirm capacity, glass colour and packaging use through the commodity code guide. A decorated jar should not be classified from its appearance alone.

Specify the jar, liner and cosmetic formula

Write down usable fill capacity and brim capacity, neck finish, thread profile, height, diameter, glass colour and decoration. State whether colour comes from the glass or a surface coating. Identify the lid, liner, inner disc and any sealing component separately, and keep an approved assembled sample.

Test the assembled pack with your actual cream, balm or mask. Check leakage, liner swelling, odour transfer, coating adhesion and whether the product can be removed easily. Before a filled cosmetic is made available to consumers in Great Britain, its safety must be checked by a qualified safety assessor. Give the assessor the proposed pack details and compatibility results.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 500 standalone glass cosmetic jar lids; values are illustrative under 7010 20 00 00, invoiced at £2,400 free on board, with £500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,900. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,900, so it is £580. 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

Glass: check rims and bases for chips, cracks and loose glass fragments; compare colour, dimensions and fill capacity with the approved sample.

Closure: fit lids across the batch, check thread engagement and liner seating, and repeat the agreed leakage check with the intended contents.

Decoration: compare artwork and label position, rub printed or coated surfaces, and check that the label area remains usable after handling.

Packing: open cartons to check dividers, cleanliness and breakage; keep jars separated and protect rims. Use the agreed checks at pre-shipment inspection and on arrival.

What goes wrong

A lid can fit the approved sample but bind or sit crooked on production jars when the neck finish changes. A liner can soften against the formula, while a coated jar can lose colour during handling. Approve the complete pack with the intended contents and agree how changes to glass, lids, liners or decoration will be reviewed.

Heavy bases can hide a smaller usable fill capacity, and tight carton packing can allow rims to strike neighbouring jars. Measure capacity rather than judging it by appearance. Record arrival damage before moving jars into filling stock, and isolate packs containing broken glass.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.