Sourcing PVC window shutters from China

6% duty on PVC window shutters

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 3925 covers builders' ware of plastics, not elsewhere specified or included. PVC window shutters and their parts fall within the shutter line 3925 30 00 00. The table shows product variants sharing that tariff line.

Goods from China on this line carry 6% duty. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing measure, suspension or attached import control for this line. Separate plastic fittings intended for permanent installation have their own line, so describe separately supplied components accurately.

Confirm the commodity code using the material, finished assembly and separately supplied parts. For the wider heading, see PVC wall cladding panels.

Specify the shutter and its window opening

State whether the shutters are for interior or exterior use, full-height, tier-on-tier or café-style. Provide opening measurements, recess depth, mounting position, hinge side, panel arrangement and clearance from handles. Agree whether drawings show the opening size or finished frame size, and record the fitting allowance.

Specify solid or hollow PVC profiles, any reinforcement, louvre width, tilt mechanism, hinge material, colour and surface finish. Ask for a sample assembly that demonstrates closure, adjustment and fixing access. For exterior use, request evidence supporting weathering and wind-performance claims, and ask which construction-product standard and marking route cover the exact product.

For consumer products supplied in Great Britain, importers have product-safety duties. Ensure the shutters are safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use; provide information about risks that are not immediately obvious and precautions against them. Where reasonable, the product or packaging must identify the producer's name and address and the product reference or batch.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 87 made-to-measure PVC window shutter sets under 3925 30 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £19,500. Duty at 6% is £1,170. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £20,670, so it is £4,134. Import taxes total £5,304; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,170 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Fit: measure frames and panels against approved drawings, check squareness and trial-fit the agreed mounting arrangement.

Operation: open and close the panels, tilt the louvres and check alignment, rubbing, hinge security and accessible pinch points.

Material and finish: compare profiles and reinforcement with the approved sample; inspect for bowing, cracks, scratches and colour differences.

Packing and identification: check corner protection, separated hardware, room or opening labels, product references and the agreed safety information. Use the quality inspection guide to organise shipment checks.

What goes wrong

Opening dimensions become finished frame dimensions without a fitting allowance, hinge positions clash with handles, and panels rub after installation. Thin profiles bow, louvres fail to close evenly, and mixed production batches show colour differences. Approve drawings and retain a sample assembly before releasing production.

A certificate for a different shutter design does not establish the performance of the ordered assembly. Match supporting documents to its profiles, hardware and intended use. Where CE marking has been legitimately affixed to a construction product, Great Britain continues to accept it without additional UK marking. Arrange a testing and certification review before accepting a supplier's marking claim.

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.