Sourcing greenhouse kits from China
Greenhouse kits classified as prefabricated buildings carry 2% UK duty from China across the relevant material lines, with no listed trade remedy. Businesses importing or selling consumer greenhouse kits are responsible for their safety. Confirm the supplied kit's classification and attached controls. Cambridge China Bridge sources greenhouse kits.
Duty and classification for greenhouse kits
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 October 2026, heading 9406 covers prefabricated buildings. Its iron or steel greenhouse line is 9406 90 31 00. Wooden buildings and buildings of other materials also carry 2% duty from China. The supplied facts list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or steel measure. The table repeats the other-material code to show different possible kit constructions, subject to classification.
The tariff attaches fluorinated greenhouse gas import controls; confirm their application with your customs broker, particularly if cooling equipment is included. It attaches a Quarantine Release Certificate control to wooden buildings, and a torture and repression import prohibition to the other-material line; confirm the applicable requirements with your broker. It also lists cultural-object export licensing and torture and repression export restrictions, which should be reviewed separately if exporting.
Send drawings, the materials list and packing details to your broker to confirm the commodity code, especially for separately supplied glazing or frame parts. Do not assume every growing shelter belongs here. See the site office cabin guide for the wider heading.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prefabricated greenhouses of iron or steel | 9406 90 31 00 | 2% | None |
| Prefabricated wooden greenhouse buildings | 9406 10 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Aluminium greenhouse kits, subject to classification | 9406 90 90 00 | 2% | None |
Specify the frame, glazing and anchoring together
Agree the footprint, ridge height, frame sections, material grades, coating, glazing material and thickness, panel retention, door opening and vent arrangement. State whether the base, anchors, seals, gutters and assembly tools are included. Ask for structural calculations matched to the intended site's wind and snow conditions, rather than an unexplained load claim.
Businesses importing or selling consumer products are responsible for their safety. For a domestic greenhouse kit, review sharp edges, glazing breakage, door movement and anchoring during sample assembly. Specify illustrated English assembly instructions and handling warnings. For wooden buildings, collect timber species, country of harvest and supply-chain legality documents for timber due diligence.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 flat-packed greenhouse kits, illustrative only under 9406 90 31 00, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £8,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £48,000. Duty at 2% is £960. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £48,960, so it is £9,792. Import taxes total £10,752; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £960 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Frame: compare sections and coating with the approved sample; check straightness, hole positions, joint fit and exposed cut edges.
Glazing: check panel dimensions, damage, edge protection, seals and retention clips; confirm the specified material and any protective-film orientation.
Assembly: build a sample using the supplied instructions; check anchors, bracing, door travel, vent operation and drainage.
Arrival: reconcile carton labels with the packing list, count fixings and inspect crushed corners or cracked panels before assembly. Agree these checks in the inspection brief.
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What goes wrong
A frame can assemble correctly but leave panels loose because clips, seals or dimensions differ from the sample. Missing braces and anchors leave the installer improvising. Bent profiles prevent doors closing, damaged coatings expose steel, and unprotected glazing arrives cracked. Inspect the complete kit together rather than approving the frame and panels separately.
A supplier's load claim is difficult to assess without the frame drawing, glazing specification and anchoring assumptions behind it. Obtain those documents before approving production, and retain the approved assembly photographs as the comparison for subsequent shipments.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on greenhouse kits from China?
The relevant prefabricated-building lines carry 2% duty from China. The supplied tariff facts list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension. Confirm the code for the actual kit.
Which commodity code covers steel greenhouses?
9406 90 31 00 covers prefabricated greenhouses of iron or steel. Separately supplied components need their own classification check.
What should I ask the greenhouse factory to supply?
Request frame drawings, glazing specifications, a complete parts list, anchoring details, assembly instructions and supporting calculations for the intended wind and snow conditions.
How do I check a greenhouse kit before shipment?
Assemble a sample from production parts, operate the door and vents, check panel retention and drainage, then reconcile the packed components and fixings with the parts list.