Sourcing jewellery display busts from China

UK duty on jewellery display busts

Heading 9618 covers tailors' dummies and other lay figures, together with animated shop-window displays. For jewellery display busts, confirm that the shape and display function fit this heading. The table shows product variants using the single commodity line supplied, rather than separate tariff subdivisions. For the wider product family, see display mannequin torsos.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, commodity code 9618 00 00 00 carries 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. It attaches import and export controls on cat and dog fur. Importing, exporting or placing products containing that fur on the market is prohibited, including Chinese busts with such coverings. Specify synthetic coverings and obtain written material confirmation.

Confirm the commodity code using photographs, the material specification and the intended display use. Do not assume that a flat necklace board or a general display stand belongs to the same heading. Ask your customs broker to check the final design before shipment.

Specify the neck shape and covering

Specify overall height, shoulder width, neck circumference, front slope, base footprint and weight. Send photographs showing the necklaces you intend to display, including how their clasps sit behind the neck. Agree the core material, padding, covering composition, colour, fabric pile direction, seam position and underside finish. Approve a finished sample with your own jewellery on it.

For busts sold as consumer products in Great Britain, the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 require safety in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Check stability and accessible edges when assessing the design. For shop displays, also trial cleaning and handling: the covering should not snag chains, shed fibres onto jewellery or transfer colour during your agreed checks.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 300 fabric-covered jewellery display busts; FOB value and freight are hypothetical under 9618 00 00 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,700. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,700, so it is £740. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Shape and presentation: compare dimensions with the approved specification and hang representative necklaces to check pendant position, chain drape and rear clasp clearance.

Covering and finish: check seams, wrinkles, exposed glue, bald patches, paint chips and colour consistency; use the agreed rubbing check to assess colour transfer.

Base and handling: place the bust on the intended counter surface, check for rocking and loose fixings, and inspect the underside for exposed staples or sharp edges.

Packing and arrival: check that coverings cannot rub against carton walls and that necks and shoulders are supported; unpack arrival samples for crushing and scuffing. See quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A bust can match the photograph yet present necklaces poorly because the neck is too broad or the front slope hides the pendant. Coverings can arrive wrinkled, seams can sit on the visible face, and adhesive can show through pale fabric. Lightweight bases may rock when jewellery is handled.

Record the approved shape and covering in the order specification. Agree cleaning and rubbing checks on the finished sample, and inspect packed goods for pressure marks before dispatch. Keep damaged arrival samples and photographs linked to their cartons so the factory can identify the packing or production fault.

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.