Sourcing grafting knives from China

Grafting knife duty and material controls

Heading 8211 covers knives with cutting blades, including pruning knives, and their blades. For grafting knives, distinguish fixed blades from folding blades, and complete knives from separately imported blades or base metal handles. See the wider knife guide for other products in this heading.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, fixed-blade and folding knives carried 8% duty from China, separate blades 6% and base metal handles 2%. The supplied lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. They attach CITES import controls, with an additional ivory import control on fixed-blade knives. Confirm the applicable declarations and any ivory requirement with your customs broker. Listed species in Annex A, B or C require CITES permits.

Identify every handle material before ordering, including any animal-derived insert or named timber species. For ivory, check eligibility for an exemption before proceeding. Confirm the commodity code using the blade arrangement, materials and whether the shipment contains complete knives or parts.

Specify the bevel and grafting cut

Specify grafting or budding use, blade shape, steel grade, hardness, blade thickness and handle material. State whether the bevel is single-sided or double-sided and which hand the knife is intended for. Agree the sharpened face and edge profile against an approved sample rather than accepting a photograph.

For budding knives, specify the shape and finish of the bark lifter. For folding models, agree the opening action, blade retention and any lock. Check designs against the banned knife list before sampling, and confirm with the relevant authority whether the opening mechanism or any disguised design makes import prohibited. Ask Trading Standards which product safety requirements apply to the garden hand tool.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 3,000 folding grafting knives under 8211 93 00 00, invoiced at £4,500 free on board, with £450 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,950. Duty at 8% is £396. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,346, so it is £1,069.20. Import taxes total £1,465.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £396 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Edge and cut: compare the bevel with the approved sample, inspect for burrs and chips, and make grafting cuts on agreed test stems. Check for a smooth cut face rather than crushed or torn tissue.

Steel and finish: compare material certificates with the order, test sample hardness, and inspect for corrosion, grinding marks and rough surfaces around the bark lifter.

Handle and folding action: pull and twist handles for movement, cycle folding blades, and check blade play, retention and lock engagement where fitted. Check that the closed edge remains covered.

Packing and identity: check blade guards or sheaths, retail packs and cartons for exposed edges or punctures. Match product markings, handle materials and supplied instructions to the approved specification.

What goes wrong

A knife can look correct but cut poorly because the factory has sharpened the wrong face or rounded the bevel during polishing. Soft edges lose sharpness; brittle edges chip. A rough bark lifter can damage bark, while loose pivots make a folding blade difficult to control.

Keep an approved cutting sample and record its bevel orientation, handle fit and folding action. Repeat the agreed cutting checks on production samples and on arrival through your inspection process. Do not accept a different steel, handle material or mechanism without reviewing the sample again.

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.