Sourcing printed Christmas cards from China

Duty on printed Christmas cards

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, printed Christmas greeting cards under 4909 00 00 00 carried 0% duty from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. Heading 4909 covers printed greeting, message and announcement cards, whether illustrated or supplied with envelopes or trimmings. The table shows product variants sharing the same tariff line.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches a DCMS Export Licence entry. Official guidance says there are no licensing requirements for importing objects of cultural interest into Great Britain. Ask your customs broker to confirm how the attached tariff entry applies to your shipment.

Confirm the finished product through finding your commodity code, especially if the order includes blank stationery or additional products. The greeting cards and postcards guide covers the wider heading.

Specify the Christmas artwork and finished pack

Agree the front design, inside greeting, spelling, fold orientation, finished dimensions, board weight, coating and envelope paper. Define the assortment by design and specify whether envelopes are loose, paired with cards or packed together. Approve a physical printed proof on the production board, including Christmas reds, dark backgrounds and fine lettering.

For foil, embossing and glitter, approve the position, appearance and adhesion on a finished sample. Confirm with the Intellectual Property Office or a qualified adviser that you have the necessary rights to use the artwork. Businesses importing or selling consumer products are responsible for their safety. Confirm with the relevant environmental regulator whether envelopes and sleeves affect your packaging producer responsibility obligations; check the packaging guide.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 20,000 printed Christmas cards with envelopes; illustrative order, not a quotation 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

Artwork and colour: compare sampled cards with the signed proof under consistent lighting; check greetings, fine lettering, design mix and print alignment.

Board and folds: compare weight and thickness with the specification; open and close cards to check crease cracking, square trimming and whether they stand upright.

Decorations and envelopes: rub foil and glitter to check shedding, inspect attached pieces and try each card design in its matching envelope.

Retail packs and arrival condition: count cards and envelopes, scan agreed barcodes and check crushed corners, moisture, mould and sleeve damage. Use the inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

Christmas reds can differ from the approved proof, foil can obscure fine lettering, and glitter can shed inside sleeves. A lighter board may bow on display, while poor creasing cracks a dark printed fold. Checking a finished production sample catches problems that an artwork file cannot show.

Mixed packs can contain the wrong design balance or too few envelopes. Tight envelopes damage decorated cards, and damp cartons leave cards curled or stained. Match the packing list to the agreed assortment and inspect incoming stock before distributing it to shops.

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.