Sourcing Lunar New Year cards from China

Duty on printed Lunar New Year greeting cards

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 4909 covers printed greeting cards, with or without illustrations, envelopes or trimmings. Printed Lunar New Year greeting cards under 4909 00 00 00 carry 0% duty from China. No anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension is listed. The table shows product variants sharing the same commodity line.

The tariff attaches a DCMS Export Licence entry. Government guidance says there are no licensing requirements for importing objects of cultural interest into Great Britain. Ask your customs broker to confirm the relevance of the tariff entry to newly printed cards from China and any documentation needed.

Confirm the finished product's commodity code, particularly if the order includes other stationery. For wider heading coverage, see printed Christmas cards.

Specify the Chinese wording, red and gold finish

Approve the exact greeting, character style and intended script with a reader familiar with the target audience. If artwork names a year or shows a zodiac animal, confirm that they match the intended season. Specify the inside message, writing area, card dimensions, board weight, fold position, envelope paper and pack assortment.

Approve a physical print proof on the ordered board. Set the red against that proof and specify whether gold is printed ink or foil. Check fine character strokes, foil registration and embossing. Confirm with the Intellectual Property Office or a qualified adviser whether you have permission to use the artwork or whether permission is needed. UK businesses importing or selling consumer products are responsible for their safety, including these cards and their decorations.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20,000 printed Lunar New Year 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 and artwork: compare front and inside printing with the approved files; check characters, greeting, any year and zodiac animal, and the orientation after folding.

Colour and finish: compare red with the physical proof; rub foil and decorations for shedding, and check fine strokes for filling or missing print.

Board and envelopes: measure against the specification, check folds for cracking, stand cards upright and try finished cards in their envelopes.

Packs and arrival condition: count cards and envelopes by design; check barcodes, crushed corners, dampness, curl and ink transfer. Record findings using the inspection guide.

What goes wrong

An old artwork file can put the wrong zodiac animal or year on a seasonal order. Font substitution can alter Chinese characters, and a fold can hide part of the greeting. Keep the approved artwork version with the physical proof and require approval before the printer changes either.

Red can shift between proof and production, while foil can bridge fine character strokes or flake in the sleeve. Heavy decoration can make an otherwise suitable envelope too tight. Check a finished, packed sample, then compare the bulk with it and inspect arrival cartons for moisture and compression.

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.