Sourcing Leather Washers from China

Leather washer duty and material controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 November 2026, heading 4205 covers other articles of leather or composition leather. Its supplied lines all carry 2% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. For machinery washers, consider 4205 00 19 00, the line for other technical uses. The table repeats this line for different washer applications rather than presenting separate tariff subdivisions.

The tariff attaches CITES, cat and dog fur, and seal product import controls to the technical-use line. CITES-listed material needs the applicable permit checks; GOV.UK requires permits for species in its listed permit categories. Imports of cat and dog fur and products made from it are banned. For seal-derived material, confirm the applicable restriction and documentation with your customs broker before ordering.

Confirm the material and intended use through our commodity code guide. If considering 4205 00 90 00 for a non-technical article, the tariff also attaches veterinary control and a prohibition concerning goods for torture and repression; confirm their application with your customs broker. See the wider leather goods guide for other products in this heading.

Specify the leather and the fitted washer

Give the factory a drawing showing outer diameter, bore diameter, thickness, tolerances and any slots. Identify the animal species, leather grade, tanning process and whether composition leather is acceptable. Specify whether dimensions are measured dry or after the agreed conditioning or oil treatment.

Describe the mating surfaces, clamping arrangement, fluid exposure and intended operating conditions. Approve samples in the actual assembly and agree how to check compression, recovery and leakage where relevant. A washer that fits loosely on the bench may distort when clamped. For skin-contact applications, confirm applicable UK REACH restrictions on chromium VI in leather with HSE.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 20,000 leather washers for machinery under 4205 00 19 00, invoiced at £10,000 free on board, with £700 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £10,700. Duty at 2% is £214. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £10,914, so it is £2,182.80. Import taxes total £2,396.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £214 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Material: compare cut edges and supplied material records with the approved leather; check for unapproved bonded material, splits or surface coatings.

Dimensions: measure thickness around the ring, bore size and outer diameter; check that the hole is centred and the washer lies flat.

Performance: fit samples in the intended assembly and repeat the agreed compression and leakage checks using the specified conditioning.

Packing: check for dampness, mould, stuck-together washers and mixed sizes; keep each material batch and size identifiable.

What goes wrong

Uneven hide thickness can leave a washer sealing on only part of its circumference. An off-centre hole leaves a narrow edge that tears during fitting. Rough punching, cracked edges and hidden splits can cause failure when the washer is tightened.

A substitute leather or different oil treatment can change compression and swelling even when the dimensions match. Record the approved material and treatment, retain comparison samples and investigate failed batches before accepting replacements. Use the inspection guide to organise checks against the agreed specification.

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.