Sourcing perfume and fragrances from China

Zero duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, perfumes and toilet waters of heading 3303 carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.

Room fragrances, reed diffusers and fragrance oils for candles are classified elsewhere; confirm the commodity code. For eucalyptus essential oil, see our eucalyptus oil sourcing guide. For citronella essential oil, see our citronella oil sourcing guide.

Cosmetics rules

Under the retained Cosmetic Products Regulation, every perfume placed on the GB market needs a Responsible Person established in the UK, a product information file with a safety assessment by a qualified assessor, notification before sale, and labels in English listing ingredients, including the fragrance allergens above the set thresholds. The beauty and personal care guide covers the process. If you also source hair colour products, see our hair dye sourcing guide.

Brands and bottles

Copies of designer fragrances or lookalike bottles risk trademark and design claims; the IP guide explains why. Glass bottles, pumps and caps are often sourced separately, so check leakage and pump compatibility on samples.

Worked duty example

For a made-up shipment of 10,000 bottles of 50 ml eau de parfum under 3303 00 10 00, add the £3,000 of freight and insurance to the £26,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £29,000. Duty on perfumes is zero, leaving import VAT of £5,800, 20% of the customs value. For a VAT-registered buyer that is a cash-flow cost rather than a lasting one. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.

Inspection checklist

Formula and safety: the fragrance oil backed by an IFRA certificate for the product category, the allergen breakdown matched to the ingredient list on the label, the cosmetic safety report covering the exact formula and concentration, and the filling plant working to the cosmetics good manufacturing practice of ISO 22716.

Fill and function: net content checked on sampled bottles under the average quantity system of the Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations 2006, pumps actuated many times to check spray output and pattern, filled bottles stored inverted and warm to check for leaks at the crimp, and each batch compared with a sealed reference sample of the approved scent.

Packing and transport: bottles, collars and caps checked for scratches and fit, cartons and cellophane checked against the approved artwork, batch codes checked on every unit, and the dangerous goods declaration as UN 1266 perfumery products confirmed with the safety data sheet before booking, with cartons sampled to ISO 2859-1.

What goes wrong

Perfume fails at the pump, in the bottle and in the scent. Crimped pumps that are not matched to the bottle neck leak or spray unevenly, collars scratch, and caps do not click home. Clear glass lets light fade and discolour the juice on the shelf, and a batch mixed from a different fragrance oil lot smells noticeably different from the approved sample. Labels missing the allergens present above the thresholds, or the Responsible Person's address, stop a launch outright.

Keep a sealed reference sample of the approved scent and compare each batch against it, run a leak test by storing filled bottles upside down and warm, count sprays and check the spray pattern, test colour stability in light, and at inspection check fill level, crimp height, cap fit, labels against the product information file and batch codes.

Shipping and inspection

Alcohol-based perfumes are flammable liquids for transport, so book them as dangerous goods with the safety data sheet. At inspection, check fill level, spray function, labels and batch codes. Send the safety data sheet to the forwarder when pricing shipping perfume from China to the UK as dangerous goods.

Cambridge China Bridge sources perfume and fragrances, with the Responsible Person, safety report and dangerous goods shipping arranged before the order. See how our sourcing service works.

Empty refillable atomisers and powder puffs are separate products with their own codes; see our perfume atomisers and powder puffs guide.