Sourcing real-fur hand muffs from China

Real-fur hand muffs: 2% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 9 October 2026, heading 4303 covers apparel, clothing accessories and other furskin articles. Every supplied line carries 2% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension recorded. The table shows material variants sharing the ordinary fur-accessory code, rather than separate tariff lines.

Confirm restrictions on importing or selling cat and dog fur and seal products with the relevant authority or your customs broker. Under the traditional-hunt exception for seal products, a seal catch attestation is required. Some species need CITES permits. For controlled wild-caught fur, confirm acceptable certification with your broker. The trapping control does not apply to animals born and bred in captivity.

The tariff attaches a restriction on entry into free circulation and import controls for CITES, cat and dog fur, and seal products. Ask your customs broker to confirm the requirements for the actual species and origin. Confirm the commodity code from the finished sample and material breakdown. For wider heading coverage, see real-fur mittens.

Specify the fur shell and hand tunnel

Specify the animal species by scientific name, skin origin, farmed or wild-caught status, tanning, dye colour, hair length and density. Agree whether the shell uses whole skins or joined pieces, and approve the direction of the pile and visibility of joins.

Define the finished dimensions, hand-opening size, tunnel clearance, lining fibre, insulation and seam construction. Specify any wrist loop, shoulder strap or zipped pocket separately. Approve a sample with hands inside it: the lining should stay in place when hands are withdrawn, and the openings should feel smooth.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 300 rabbit-fur hand muffs under 4303 10 90 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,500. Duty at 2% is £190. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,690, so it is £1,938. Import taxes total £2,128; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £190 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Species and records: match the fur identification, origin documents and any applicable permits to the production batch; arrange independent species testing if uncertain.

Fur and colour: check shedding, bald patches, brittle skin, odour and dye transfer onto a pale cloth and the lining.

Tunnel and seams: measure against the approved sample, insert and withdraw hands, and check lining movement, exposed seam allowances and skin joins.

Attachments and packing: pull-check loops and straps, operate pocket zips, and inspect for crushed pile, dampness and mismatched product descriptions. Use the inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

A dense outer shell can hide weak skin joins or a loose lining. After handling, the lining may pull out through an opening, joins may split, or dye may stain gloves. Compare production samples with the approved construction and test the complete muff, including attachments.

Species substitution can turn a quality dispute into an import-control problem. Keep the approved species and origin in the purchase specification, check the supporting records before shipment and investigate any change in fur appearance or supplier description.

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.