Sourcing mirrors and LED bathroom mirrors from China

Zero duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, framed glass mirrors, unframed glass mirrors and rear-view mirrors for vehicles carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Under 7009 10 00 90, a listed electrochromic self-dimming inside rear-view mirror has a 0% suspension to the end of 2028 under authorised use; ordinary mirrors are already at 0%. For traffic applications, see our convex traffic safety mirrors guide.

A mirror with built-in lighting may be classified by its lighting function rather than as a mirror, so confirm the commodity code for LED models; the commercial lighting guide covers luminaires. For infinity mirrors, see our infinity mirror sourcing guide.

Safety and the glass

Regulation 5(1) of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 says no producer shall place a product on the market unless it is safe. For a mirror, the risks are breakage and fixing: ask for a safety backing film on large and wall-hung mirrors so the glass holds together if broken, and for fixings rated for the weight with a wall-fixing instruction.

Silvering quality decides how long a mirror lasts in a bathroom. Ask for copper-free silvering and a protective back paint suited to humid rooms, and check the edges for black spots on samples; toughened glass is a different product for doors and shower screens.

LED and demister mirrors

An illuminated or heated bathroom mirror is electrical equipment in a wet room, so it needs electrical safety evidence and an ingress protection rating suitable for the bathroom zone it will be fitted in. Ask for the test reports for the complete mirror, the driver and the demister pad, and check the rating printed on the product.

Touch switches, colour temperature settings and the driver are where LED mirrors fail; test them on samples, and ask for spare drivers with the first order. As electrical goods they also bring WEEE obligations.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 1,200 framed bathroom mirrors, commodity code 7009 92 00 00, bought for £36,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance, so £40,000 is the value customs works from. No duty is due on framed mirrors; import VAT at 20% of £40,000 is £8,000. If you are VAT-registered, that VAT is normally reclaimable. Freight is high for the value because mirrors ship in crates. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

Per mirror, that is about £3.33 of freight and no duty, so the crate design and breakage rate move the landed cost far more than the tariff does.

Inspection checklist

Glass and finish: measure glass thickness with a calliper against the specification, check reflections for distortion against a straight-line or striped board viewed at an angle, and check edge polish, bevel width and corners on sampled mirrors at the viewing distance agreed in the order.

LED and demister mirrors: ask for the BS EN 60598-1 luminaire safety report for the complete mirror, check the IP rating tested to IEC 60529 suits the bathroom zone under BS 7671 Section 701, which requires at least IPX4 in zones 1 and 2, and check that the factory runs an earth continuity and flash test on every unit.

Fixings and packing: load-test sampled hanging brackets or cleats at the weight stated in the fitting instructions, check the instructions and fixings are in the box, and drop-test a packed carton to ISTA 1A or the drop height agreed in the order before loading.

What goes wrong

Mirrors fail on silvering, flatness and the electrics. Black spots and edge corrosion appear within months in a humid bathroom because the silvering or back paint is poor, thin or low-grade float glass distorts reflections, and the safety backing film is missing or does not hold the glass when broken. LED mirrors have drivers that fail, condensation inside the light channel, touch switches that stop responding and demister pads that run too hot.

Check silvering and back paint against BS EN 1036 for silvered float glass mirrors, including an edge corrosion check on samples, inspect reflections for distortion at an angle, confirm the backing film's impact class to BS EN 12600 on wall-hung mirrors, and on LED models check the IP rating for the bathroom zone, run a burn-in test, and measure demister surface temperature.

Crating

Most mirror claims are breakage in transit. Specify corner protectors, foam and wooden crates or strong cartons by size, and a drop test on a packed sample, and check the packing at the container loading.

Cambridge China Bridge sources framed, bathroom and LED mirrors for retail and hotel projects, with the glass, electrics and crating specified before production. See how our sourcing service works.

Related guides: Sourcing bathroom accessories from China. For makeup mirrors, see our magnifying makeup mirror sourcing guide. For two-way mirrors, see our two-way glass mirror sourcing guide. For inspection tools, see our glass inspection mirror sourcing guide. For salon hand mirrors, see our barber hand mirror sourcing guide. For folding vanity designs, see our trifold glass vanity mirror sourcing guide.