Sourcing medicine balls from China

Medicine balls: 2% under the candidate exercise line

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 December 2026, heading 9506 covers exercise and sports equipment. Other exercise equipment under 9506 91 90 00 is the candidate classification used here for medicine balls. The table repeats this candidate line for different constructions and uses; it does not imply separate tariff codes.

The candidate line carries 2% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension recorded. It attaches cat and dog fur import and export controls: that fur and products made from it are banned from import and export. Specify shells and fillings without such fur. A cultural-goods export licence measure is also attached; ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance if re-exporting.

Confirm the commodity code using the finished ball, shell, filling and intended exercise use before calculating landed cost. For another product family within the wider heading, see kettlebell sourcing.

Specify the filling, grip and intended impact

Define whether the ball is for controlled lifting and passing, wall throws or repeated floor slams. State whether rebound is wanted and identify the intended contact surface. Approve a physical sample for each construction rather than treating all weighted balls as interchangeable.

Specify nominal weight and tolerance, diameter, shell material, surface texture, filling composition and how the filling is contained. For stitched shells, agree panel construction, seam reinforcement and closure. For moulded shells, agree seam finish and valve construction where fitted. Check whether loose filling shifts enough to affect handling.

Confirm with your local Trading Standards authority the safety requirements applicable to consumer-use medicine balls supplied in Great Britain, including reasonably foreseeable use and equipment made available for consumers to use in a gym. Request safety evidence matching the ordered construction and instructions explaining intended use, restrictions and checks for damage. Agree product or batch identification and producer contact details on the ball or packaging where reasonable.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 24 rubber medicine balls, subject to classification confirmation under 9506 91 90 00, invoiced at £350 free on board, with £350 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £700. Duty at 2% is £14. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £714, so it is £142.80. Import taxes total £156.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £14 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Weight and shape: weigh finished balls against the agreed tolerance, check diameter and roundness, and compare the weight marking with the actual ball.

Shell and filling: inspect stitching, moulded seams, closures and valves where fitted. Look for cuts, loose threads, exposed filling, leakage and uneven filling distribution.

Grip and impact: compare texture and handling with the approved sample. Perform the agreed throwing or slam test on the intended surface and inspect afterwards for splitting, leakage and changed rebound.

Arrival and identification: check carton damage, dampness, mixed weights, readable markings and matching instructions. Record defects and retain samples using the inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A ball can meet its stated weight yet feel unbalanced because the filling settles or moves. Shells can split at seams, stitched panels can open around the closure, and weight markings can rub away. A change in shell material or filling can alter grip and rebound even when the appearance matches.

A wall-throw ball may fail when repeatedly slammed onto a floor. Keep separate approved samples and use instructions for each intended application. Inspect tested samples internally where practical, record shell and filling specifications, and require written approval before material substitutions.

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.