Sourcing memo blocks from China

Duty on paper memo blocks

Heading 4820 covers paper and paperboard stationery, including memorandum pads. Glued paper memo blocks supplied as memorandum pads fall within the description of 4820 10 30 00. The table shows product variants sharing this commodity line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the supplied lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied data records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls. These tariff findings do not replace product safety or timber obligations.

Confirm the commodity code using the sample, paper construction and binding method, particularly for loose sheets or adhesive formats. See the wider stationery guide for other products in this heading.

Specify paper, sheets and tear-off behaviour

Specify block dimensions, sheet count, paper grammage and tolerance, colour, opacity, ruling, printing, backing board and glued edge. State whether sheets should detach individually or remain attached during writing. Approve a physical sample and print artwork, including the position of branding relative to the cutting edge.

Ask for the virgin and recycled fibre mix and supporting source records. For virgin-fibre paper first placed on the Great Britain market, confirm with the relevant authority whether the importer needs to carry out timber due diligence. Consumer memo blocks must be safe for normal or reasonably foreseeable use; assess the complete product, including any holder or attached accessories.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of boxed, glued paper memo blocks for business resale under 4820 10 30 00, invoiced at £3,500 free on board, with £150 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,650. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,650, so it is £730. 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

Paper: check dimensions, sheet count, grammage and opacity against the approved specification; try the intended pens for feathering and show-through.

Binding: detach sheets from different parts of the block; check that glue holds during handling without tearing sheets or releasing bundles.

Printing: check ruling, colour, artwork position and trimming against the approved sample; look for ink transfer between sheets.

Arrival: open cartons from across the shipment and check for damp, odour, curled sheets, crushed corners and detached backing boards.

What goes wrong

A block can look correct while containing fewer sheets or thinner paper than agreed. Excess glue makes sheets tear; weak glue lets the block split in transit. Cutting drift moves printed borders towards the edge, and damp packing causes curl or staining. Compare production samples with the retained approved block before shipment.

Keep consumer-product supplier records so the goods can be traced. Match those records to the delivered paper and finished blocks, rather than relying on an unrelated sample or a generic supplier statement.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.