Sourcing plastic cleaning buckets from China
Plastic cleaning buckets from China carry 6% UK duty under the other household articles line, with no anti-dumping duty listed. Buckets intended for consumers in Great Britain must be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. Check handle strength, leaks and wringer fit. Cambridge China Bridge sources plastic cleaning buckets.
Duty on plastic cleaning buckets
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 3924 covers plastic tableware, kitchenware, other household articles and hygienic or toilet articles. Ordinary plastic cleaning buckets fall within the other household articles category. The table shows bucket forms using the same tariff line.
For goods from China, 3924 90 00 90 carries 6% duty. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or import control on this line. The ironing-board trade remedy and kitchenware entry restrictions belong to other lines in the heading.
Give your broker the material, intended use, photographs and details of any wringer or trolley to confirm the commodity code. For the wider range, see cleaning and janitorial products.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic cleaning buckets with carry handles | 3924 90 00 90 | 6% | None |
Specify the bucket, handle and wringer
Specify the plastic type, permitted recycled content, working capacity, rim dimensions, wall thickness and empty weight. Agree handle material, grip shape, pivot design, pouring spout and any moulded graduations. State which mop head the wringer must accept and whether replacement wringers are interchangeable.
Agree trials using the intended cleaning solution, water temperature and filled load. Approve a physical sample and nested packing arrangement. For buckets intended for or likely to be used by consumers in Great Britain, the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 apply and require safe products.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2,000 plastic cleaning buckets under 3924 90 00 90, invoiced at £7,000 free on board, with £600 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £7,600. Duty at 6% is £456. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £8,056, so it is £1,611.20. Import taxes total £2,067.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £456 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Body: fill the bucket, check the base and mould seams for leaks, and compare wall thickness and rim shape with the approved sample.
Handle: lift and carry a filled sample, check pivot retention and grip comfort, and look for cracking around the mounting points.
Wringer: fit the intended mop, check seating and drainage, and watch for distortion or disengagement during use.
Packing: unpack nested buckets, check for sticking, scuffs and distorted rims, and confirm that handles and wringers are present.
What goes wrong
Thin walls bow when filled, handle pivots pull out and mould seams leak. Wringer clips can fit the sample but fail on production buckets when rim dimensions drift. Tightly nested packing can distort rims or make buckets difficult to separate.
Record the approved material and sample dimensions, trial filled buckets and inspect production units before shipment. Keep failed samples and photographs so the factory can correct the cause. See quality inspection explained.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on plastic cleaning buckets from China?
The supplied tariff record shows 6% duty under 3924 90 00 90, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty listed on that line.
What should I specify for a mop bucket?
Specify working capacity, plastic type, wall thickness, handle design, wringer attachment and the mop head it must accept. Approve a filled-load trial.
Do consumer safety rules apply to cleaning buckets?
In Great Britain, the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 apply to products intended for or likely to be used by consumers. Consumer cleaning buckets must be safe.
How do I check cleaning buckets before shipment?
Fill samples to check leaks, carry them to test handle retention, trial the wringer with the intended mop, and unpack nested cartons to check distortion and missing parts.