Sourcing industrial bump caps from China

Duty and classification for bump caps

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 6506 covers other headgear, including safety headgear. Its safety-headgear lines carry 2% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension recorded. The wider heading ranges from 2% to 4%, but the felt-headgear line is outside this bump-cap guide.

Plastic safety headgear is listed under 6506 10 10 00; safety headgear of other materials is under 6506 10 80 00. The table repeats the plastic line for buying variants, rather than adding separate tariff lines. The other-materials line attaches cat and dog fur import and export controls: imports and exports of such fur, including products made from it, are banned.

For a textile-covered cap with a protective insert, give your customs broker the complete construction, materials and intended protective use to confirm the commodity code. See the industrial safety helmet guide for wider protective headgear.

Protective insert, fit and intended use

Specify the protective insert material and shape, padding, textile cover, ventilation, peak shape, head-size range and adjustment mechanism. Approve the complete assembled cap, with the insert fitted. Agree whether the cover is removable and how it is cleaned, and record the permitted logo position and decoration method.

HSE advises against using baseball-style bump caps where falling objects are a risk. Most new workplace protective equipment placed on the Great Britain market must have CE or UKCA marking, a declaration of conformity and English instructions. Before ordering, compare the proposed model and assembly with the supplier's conformity documents; arrange testing and certification checks where needed.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 5,000 plastic industrial bump caps under 6506 10 10 00, invoiced at £36,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £36,900. Duty at 2% is £738. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £37,638, so it is £7,527.60. Import taxes total £8,265.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £738 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Insert and padding: check for cracks, distortion, sharp moulding edges, missing padding and movement inside the cover against the approved assembled sample.

Fit and ventilation: check the agreed head-size range, adjustment grip, peak clearance and alignment of ventilation openings with the cover.

Documents and identification: match the model on the cap, packaging, declaration and supporting reports; check conformity marking and English instructions.

Cover and packing: check stitching, sweatband colour transfer, logo placement and carton compression. Use the agreed sample and inspection plan for acceptance.

What goes wrong

A cap can look like the approved sample while containing a different insert or thinner padding. Covers can shrink after cleaning, shifting the insert or blocking ventilation. Adjustment straps can slip, and tightly packed cartons can deform the protective assembly. Compare production pieces with the complete approved sample, including hidden parts.

Another failure is buying a bump cap for a task involving falling objects. Choose protection for the actual hazard before discussing colour or branding. Keep the supplier's model identification consistent across samples, reports and production, and investigate substitutions before accepting the shipment.

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.