Sourcing grip seal bags from China

UK duty on polyethylene grip seal bags

Heading 3923 covers plastic articles for conveying or packing goods and plastic closures. Polyethylene grip seal bags fall within the ethylene-polymer bag line, 3923 21 00 00. The table repeats this code for different polyethylene bag formats; printing, writing panels and hanging holes describe the ordered product.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 December 2026, the polyethylene bag line carries 6% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or attached import control. Its 0.00 % suspension is restricted to a specifically described multilayer damp-proof bag. Ordinary polyethylene grip seal bags should be costed at 6%.

Confirm the resin and construction before choosing your commodity code. Other plastic bag lines also carry a standard 6% duty; specialised suspensions elsewhere in the heading do not establish relief for ordinary grip seal bags. For the wider heading, see poly mailer bags.

Specify usable size, film and the press seal

State the contents, loaded weight, usable internal width and depth below the closure, opening lip and any hanging hole. Specify film thickness and whether it refers to an individual wall or the combined flattened bag. Agree thickness tolerances, resin, recycled content, clarity, printing and pack counts. Approve a filled sample using your actual contents.

Describe how easily the closure should open and reseal, and agree repeated opening, filled handling and seam-strength checks. For food-contact bags, obtain a declaration of compliance and migration evidence covering the intended food, contact duration and temperature. Include the closure and printing in the document review; assess freezer or heating claims against the intended use.

Check each imported plastic packaging component for Plastic Packaging Tax separately from customs duty. Obtain bag weights and material records. Assess whether packaging producer responsibility obligations apply to your business.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative bulk order of printed polyethylene grip seal bags under 3923 21 00 00, invoiced at £4,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,200. Duty at 6% is £312. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,512, so it is £1,102.40. Import taxes total £1,414.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £312 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Dimensions: measure usable width and depth below the seal, opening lip, hole position and film thickness against the approved specification.

Closure: press the seal along its full length, reopen and reseal it, then check for gaps, misalignment and separation under agreed filled handling.

Film and seams: inspect for pinholes, embedded particles, weak bottom welds and tearing beside the closure; test with the intended contents.

Arrival: compare printing, writing-panel performance, pack counts and batch identification with the order. Check for damp cartons, contamination and documents matching the supplied material. Agree the inspection scope before dispatch.

What goes wrong

A catalogue size may include the lip above the seal, leaving too little usable depth. Film can be thinner than the approved sample, while an uneven closure feels shut but leaves gaps. Hanging holes can tear when placed too near the edge. Write-on panels may smear with the buyer's chosen pen.

Repeated opening can pull the closure away from the film, and sharp contents can puncture an otherwise sound bag. A resin or ink substitution can leave food-contact evidence unmatched to production. Retain an approved sample, record agreed materials and resolve failed checks before 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.