Sourcing Printed Business Cards from China

Duty and classification for business cards

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 4911 covers other printed matter, including printed pictures and photographs. The supplied lines all show 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension listed. The table includes possible classification routes and separately supplied companion print products; it does not classify every card as advertising.

The supplied tariff record attaches a cultural-object export licence control to 4911 99 00 00 and the picture lines. Official guidance says cultural objects have no import licensing requirement in Great Britain. Ask your customs broker to confirm how the attached control and any document waiver apply to the declaration. Business cards supplied as stationery are standard-rated for VAT; budget for 20% import VAT.

Confirm the commodity code using the finished sample, printed content, material and intended use. The worked order is illustrative and assumes the stated code is confirmed. See the import duty and VAT guide for the calculation method, and the printed product catalogues guide for wider printed-matter coverage.

Specify the artwork, card stock and finish

Specify finished dimensions, card stock, grammage, thickness, surface texture and printing on each face. Agree colour references, bleed, safe margins, corner shape and the position of foil, embossing or varnish. If the reverse is for handwritten notes, approve a writing trial on the finished surface.

Approve a physical proof on the actual stock. Check names, job titles, telephone details, web addresses and any scannable code. Send a separate approved artwork file for each employee or branch, with the quantity and packing label assigned to that version.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 20,000 foil-finished printed business cards across staff designs; illustrative only, subject to classification under 4911 99 00 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,500, so it is £1,300. 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

Artwork: compare every version with the approved file, check small text remains legible and test printed scannable codes.

Stock and colour: compare thickness, stiffness, texture and printed colour with the signed physical proof.

Trimming and finish: check square edges, consistent margins, alignment between faces, foil registration and resistance to rubbing.

Packing: check version labels and counts, crushed corners, moisture damage and whether coated cards stick together.

What goes wrong

A correct screen proof can still produce unreadable small text, weak contrast or colour shifts on textured stock. Trimming can cut into contact details, foil can obscure lettering, and a coated reverse may reject handwriting. Approve the finished construction rather than artwork alone.

Mixed staff versions can be packed under the wrong labels, while damp cartons cause curling and damaged edges. Keep an approved sample for comparison and inspect finished, packed cards before dispatch. Use the quality inspection guide to define the checks.

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.