Sourcing inflatable camping mattresses from China

Duty on textile inflatable camping mattresses

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, pneumatic mattresses under 6306 40 00 00 carried 12% duty for goods from China. The supplied snapshot lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for this line.

Heading 6306 covers textile camping goods alongside tents, tarpaulins and sails. The table shows mattress variants against the same pneumatic-mattress line, rather than separate tariff classifications. See the wider camping and tents guide for the wider heading.

Give your broker the outer material, coating, internal construction and intended use before confirming the commodity code. Do not select this textile heading merely because a supplier calls a product a camping mattress.

Specify the air chamber and valve

Specify the outer fabric, coating material, finished inflated dimensions, packed dimensions, mattress weight and intended user load. Agree the valve design, pump connection, internal baffles, surface finish and included repair materials against an approved physical sample.

Agree an air-retention test with inflation pressure, conditioning, duration and acceptance criteria written into the order. Compare measurements at a stable temperature so cooling is not mistaken for leakage. Ask for evidence behind insulation or load claims.

Consumer products supplied in Great Britain must be safe. Keep safety review separate from appearance approval, and review foreseeable risks such as valve detachment, chamber failure and unsuitable use. This guide focuses on mattresses supplied without electrical pumps.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 800 textile inflatable camping mattresses under 6306 40 00 00, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £27,000. Duty at 12% is £3,240. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £30,240, so it is £6,048. Import taxes total £9,288; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £3,240 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Air retention: inflate samples from different cartons, check valves and welded seams for leakage, and compare firmness after the agreed holding period.

Construction: measure inflated size and weight, inspect baffle alignment, and check for bulges, exposed edges, coating separation and uneven flocking.

Valve and accessories: operate caps repeatedly, check pump compatibility, and confirm repair patches adhere to the actual mattress material.

Packing and instructions: check model identification, inflation and deflation instructions, repair contents and carton protection against the approved specification. Arrange inspection around functional checks as well as appearance.

What goes wrong

A mattress can look acceptable when first inflated but soften through a leaking valve or weak seam. Internal baffle separation creates a bulge, while coating changes can alter weld strength and make the approved repair adhesive ineffective.

Freeze the material and valve specification before production. Repeat air-retention and loaded-use checks on production samples, and investigate failures before shipment. Keep the failed sample and its carton identification so the factory can trace the affected production.

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.