Sourcing metal shoe lace hooks from China

UK duty on metal shoe lace hooks

Heading 8308 covers base metal hooks and similar fittings used for footwear and other made-up articles. Metal shoe lace hooks fall within the hooks, eyes and eyelets line, 8308 10 00 00. The table shows product variants sharing that commodity code, rather than separate tariff lines.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the supplied tariff record shows 2% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for this line.

Confirm the material, function and construction against your commodity code before declaring the goods. For other fasteners supplied alongside lace hooks, see the buckles, eyelets and rivets guide.

Specify the hook opening and attachment

Specify the base metal, hook opening, throat depth, overall height, base shape and fixing-shank dimensions. Send the actual lace, upper material and lining thickness. Agree tolerances and the setting tool with the factory, then approve hooks fitted to the intended footwear.

Specify plating and any protective coating separately from the base metal. Keep an approved finish sample and agree checks for abrasion, corrosion and colour transfer. A finish name or a photograph does not establish coating durability.

For Great Britain, consumer products must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Confirm with HSE whether a UK REACH nickel-release restriction applies to the hook, considering any direct and prolonged skin contact in its intended position. Where applicable, request nickel-release evidence matching the metal and finish, rather than relying on a nickel-free description.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative batch of metal shoe lace hooks; FOB value and freight are hypothetical under 8308 10 00 00, invoiced at £1,230 free on board, with £810 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,040. Duty at 2% is £40.80. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,080.80, so it is £416.16. Import taxes total £456.96; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £40.80 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fit: measure the hook opening and fixing shank against the drawing, and thread the intended lace without forcing it.

Attachment: set samples into the actual upper and lining with the production tool; pull the lace in its working direction and check for rotation, loosening or tearing.

Edges: inspect the throat, tip and underside for burrs; move the lace through the hook and check for snagging or damaged fibres.

Finish: compare colour with the approved sample, inspect recessed areas for exposed metal, and check the agreed abrasion and corrosion results.

What goes wrong

An opening that looks right in a photograph can pinch a thick lace or let a thin lace escape. A fixing shank that does not suit the upper can leave the hook loose or damage the lining. Check the assembled footwear before approving bulk production.

Burrs abrade laces, hooks deform under tension, and plating can wear through where the lace rubs. Inspect samples from different packs and retain the batch details with the results. Agree the checks through your inspection brief.

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.