Sourcing printed perpetual calendars from China

UK duty on printed perpetual calendars

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 4910 covers calendars of any kind, printed, including calendar blocks. Goods from China under 4910 00 00 00 carry 0% duty. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension is listed. The table shows product formats sharing the same commodity line.

The tariff lists a DCMS Export Licence control. Government guidance states that importing objects of cultural interest into Great Britain has no licensing requirement. Ask your customs broker to confirm how the listed export control applies to your shipment, particularly if it includes old originals. Confirm printed calendars' VAT treatment with HMRC or your customs broker; import VAT is 20% if standard-rated. See import duty and VAT.

This guide concerns printed paper calendars intended for repeated use. Send photographs, materials and an explanation of any sliders or stand to your broker to confirm the commodity code. For the wider heading, see printed calendars.

Specify the reusable date layout

Distinguish a birthday calendar with undated weekday spaces from a calendar that aligns dates with weekdays using movable selectors. Supply approved artwork and explain how users reset it. For weekday-aligning designs, test the month transitions and leap-year setting. Avoid fixed annual bank holidays in a product intended for repeated use.

Specify paper or board, finished size, surface finish, binding, hanging arrangement and desk support. Approve a working sample on the intended stock, including slider clearance and instructions. Businesses importing or selling consumer products in the UK are responsible for their safety. Examine exposed wire ends, selector edges and stand stability as part of your sample review.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative: 2,500 printed perpetual desk calendars under 4910 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

Layout and resetting: compare the finished print with approved artwork, check month names and date sequences, and operate each selector through its full travel.

Paper and print: compare stock and finish with the approved sample; check colour, legibility, trimming and alignment around viewing windows.

Binding and support: turn pages repeatedly, check hanging holes and wire ends, and test whether the desk stand stays open during resetting.

Arrival and packing: inspect for damp, curl, scuffed surfaces and crushed stands; check that loose selectors remain with their calendars. Agree these checks through quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A supplier may reuse an annual calendar template, leaving fixed weekdays or holidays in a supposedly perpetual design. A birthday calendar can also be mistaken for a weekday-aligning calendar. Approve the intended function alongside the artwork, and test resetting rather than judging only the cover.

Coating can make sliders stick, loose clearances let selectors drift, and repeated handling exposes weak binding or rubbing ink. Damp board can curl and trap moving parts. Retain a working approval sample and compare both operation and print quality with the shipment.

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.