Sourcing paper letter cards from China

Paper letter cards: 0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, paper letter cards under 4817 20 00 00 carried 0% duty from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duties, suspensions or attached import controls. All table variants share this commodity line.

Heading 4817 covers paper or paperboard envelopes, letter cards, plain postcards, correspondence cards and containers holding assorted paper stationery. This guide focuses on letter cards that fold around the written message. See the wider paper correspondence cards guide. Confirm the commodity code against the finished article and its construction.

Virgin-fibre paper placed on the Great Britain market falls within the UK Timber Regulations. Confirm with the relevant authority or your customs broker what timber-source due diligence is needed when first placing it on that market. Ask for the fibre composition, species and country of harvest. Use the site's envelope guide as a starting point, and confirm whether exclusions apply to bamboo-based and recovered products.

Specify the fold, seal and writing surface

Agree the open and folded dimensions, paper grammage, thickness, colour and opacity. Specify the crease position, grain direction, sealing edges and any perforated opening strips. Approve a folded physical sample, showing where the message and address sit and which areas must remain free of glue.

Test the intended pens on the writing surface for feathering, bleed-through and drying. For printed cards, approve the artwork, colour and registration against the fold and perforations. Specify how the cards are packed to protect corners and keep moisture away from gummed edges.

Businesses importing or selling consumer products in the UK are responsible for their safety. Include any added coatings, inks and adhesives in the supplier specification and keep the approved material details with the order.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 40 cartons of plain paper letter cards under 4817 20 00 00, invoiced at £6,700 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,200, so it is £1,840. 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: compare grammage, thickness, colour and opacity with the approved sample; try the intended pens on cards from different cartons.

Folds and opening: check crease alignment, folded dimensions and perforations; open sealed samples and check that the message area stays intact.

Seal and print: test the agreed sealing method, look for unwanted sticking and check that print avoids glue and tear-off areas.

Arrival: check carton counts, crushed corners, curl, dampness and mould; photograph damage and retain samples. See quality inspection explained.

What goes wrong

A crease running against the paper grain can crack or spring open. Misaligned perforations tear into the message, while excessive glue bonds the writing area. Weak glue lets the card open after sealing. A paper substitution can make handwriting show through or ink spread.

Damp transit can curl cards or make gummed edges stick together. Specify protective packing and compare arrival samples with the approved folded card before releasing stock. Record failures by carton and ask the factory to identify the affected production batch.

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.