Sourcing anniversary cards from China

UK duty on printed anniversary greeting cards

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 4909 covers printed cards bearing personal greetings, messages or announcements, with or without illustrations, envelopes or trimmings. Printed anniversary greeting cards fall within this description. The table shows formats covered by the same commodity line, 4909 00 00 00.

Duty for goods from China is 0%, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing measures and no listed suspensions. The tariff attaches a “DCMS Export Licence” entry. Government guidance states that cultural-interest imports into Great Britain have no licensing requirements. Ask your customs broker to confirm how the attached entry and its document waiver apply to your shipment.

Confirm the finished product’s commodity code, particularly if its construction changes. Blank cards are classified elsewhere. The graduation greeting cards guide covers another card family within the wider heading. For the tax calculation, see UK import duty and VAT.

Specify anniversary wording, board and finish

Define whether the range celebrates wedding anniversaries or another occasion. Approve the cover wording, milestone wording, recipient description and inside verse for each design. Specify folded size, board weight, grain direction, writing surface, envelope paper and retail packing. Mark the position of foil and embossing on the artwork, and approve a physical proof on the intended board.

Use artwork you own or have permission to reproduce. Importers are responsible for the safety of consumer products they bring into the UK. For embellished anniversary cards, check loose decorations and shedding glitter alongside print quality. This guide focuses on paper cards; sound and light versions bring the battery and electrical questions described in the site's greeting-card guidance.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20,000 printed anniversary greeting cards with envelopes under 4909 00 00 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,800, so it is £1,360. 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

Wording: compare the cover and inside message with the approved artwork for every design, including milestone text, spelling and recipient wording.

Print and finish: compare colour with the physical proof; check foil alignment, fine lettering, embossing and surface rubbing for flaking or transfer.

Board and folding: check the ordered stock, clean trimming, centred folds, cracking along the crease and whether the card stands as intended.

Envelopes and packing: try each card in its envelope, check glue marks and crushed corners, and match design counts and barcodes to the packing list. Record findings during quality inspection.

What goes wrong

Anniversary ranges can arrive with the right artwork on the cover but the wrong verse inside, or milestone designs mixed into the wrong packs. Metallic lettering can fill in, foil can lift, and dark printed folds can crack. A replacement board may change both colour and stiffness.

Approve the complete folded card with its envelope, rather than separate artwork files alone. Keep a signed sample for each design and inspect finished packs against it. Moisture can bow the cards and mark envelopes, so agree protective packing and examine cartons for dampness on arrival.

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.