Sourcing Printed Wedding Invitations from China

UK duty on printed wedding invitations

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 November 2026, printed wedding invitation cards within heading 4909 carry 0% duty from China. The heading covers printed cards bearing personal messages or announcements, with or without illustrations, envelopes or trimmings. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table shows invitation formats within the same commodity line.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches a DCMS Export Licence control. Official guidance states that importing objects of cultural interest into Great Britain has no licensing requirements. Ask your customs broker to confirm how the listed control and its document waiver apply to your shipment.

Confirm the commodity code using the finished invitation and everything supplied with it. Blank cards and stationery sets are classified elsewhere. For the wider heading, see greeting cards and postcards. Budget border taxes using the UK import duty and VAT guide.

Wording, card stock and the printed proof

Specify the finished size, flat or folded format, card weight, thickness, colour and surface texture. List the envelope, lining, inserts and decorations separately, with an assembly sample showing how they fit together. Agree whether invitations arrive assembled or as loose components.

Approve names, ceremony and reception details, dates, reply wording and every language version before printing. Approve a physical proof on the actual card stock, including foil, embossing and folds. Confirm any permissions needed to use the artwork before printing. Consumer products supplied in Great Britain must be safe; assess loose decorations and sharp decorative edges when choosing the design.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 20,000 printed wedding invitation cards in assorted designs for a stationery retailer (illustrative) 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

Text and versions: compare production samples with the approved artwork, including names, accents, venue details and reply information. Keep different customer orders and wording versions identifiable.

Print and finish: compare colour with the signed physical proof. Check fine lettering, foil alignment, embossing, ink smudges and surface marks; rub the foil to check adhesion.

Card and envelopes: measure the agreed size, weight and thickness. Check clean cuts, square corners, folds that close without cracking, and envelope fit with all agreed inserts.

Packing and arrival: count components, check version labels, and look for crushed corners, dampness, curling and ink transfer between cards. Use an agreed inspection checklist before dispatch and repeat these checks on arrival.

What goes wrong

A correct design can become an unusable invitation when names are changed, accents disappear or reception wording is taken from another order. Keep a signed final artwork file for each version, stop informal edits after approval, and compare the first production samples with that file.

Fine foil lettering can fill in or flake, textured stock can make small text uneven, and folded cards can crack along the crease. An envelope that fits the card alone may fail once inserts and decorations are added. Approve an assembled sample and specify packing that protects corners and keeps moisture away.

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.