Sourcing real fur trims from China

Flat 2% duty, with species controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 14 November 2026, heading 4303 covers articles of apparel, clothing accessories and other articles of furskin. Every line carries 2% duty for goods from China. This guide concerns separately supplied real fur garment trims. The table gives product examples sharing tariff lines, subject to classification. Whole skins and assembled skin plates are covered in our wider fur guide.

The snapshot lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. Relevant lines attach restrictions on entry into free circulation, CITES controls, cat and dog fur controls and seal product controls. Cat and dog fur and products containing it cannot be imported or sold. Seal products face a ban with narrow exceptions requiring a seal catch attestation from a recognised body. Confirm any proposed seal trim and the free-circulation restriction with your customs broker before ordering.

For trims subject to CITES controls from China, arrange the applicable UK import documentation and corresponding Chinese export documentation. Ask the Animal and Plant Health Agency about the requirements for the exact species. Classification depends on the supplied article: garments merely trimmed with fur may be classified as garments. Send photographs, construction details and the species to your broker and confirm the commodity code.

Specify the species, skin and attachment

Specify the common and scientific species names, farmed or wild origin, and where the animals originated, separately from the Chinese manufacturing location. Agree the finished trim shape, dimensions, hair direction, pile length, density, colour, skin softness, backing, seam construction and attachment method. Approve a sample fitted to the actual garment, including how the collar, cuff or hood edging sits after cleaning.

For wild-caught fur covered by trapping controls, check approved-source certification or an accepted endangered-species permit with your broker. These trapping controls do not apply to animals born and bred in captivity. Keep origin evidence linked to the production batch rather than accepting a supplier's generic species declaration.

For textile garments containing fur trim, confirm with Trading Standards whether the wording 'Contains non-textile parts of animal origin' is required. Agree the finished garment labels with the garment maker before approving the trim. Describe the species accurately and avoid describing real fur as faux.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 300 detachable rabbit fur collars, illustrative order 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 origin: compare batch documents with the approved species and origin; arrange independent identification if the fur is uncertain.

Hair and skin: check shedding by brushing and gentle pulling, skin flexibility, brittle edges, bald patches, odour and colour transfer onto the garment fabric.

Fit and attachment: measure against the approved pattern, match paired cuffs, check hair direction and inspect seams, backing, buttons or zip attachment.

Labels and packing: check the agreed animal-origin wording on applicable finished textiles, batch identification and packing that avoids crushing or dampness.

What goes wrong

A colour-approved sample can hide a species substitution or a change in skin quality. Production trims may shed, have stiff skin, transfer dye onto pale fabric or differ in fullness across a collar. Loose attachments and mismatched cuffs become clear only when trims are fitted to the garment.

Check species and origin before committing to production, retain a fitted approval sample and inspect the shipment against it. Do not accept a supplier's declaration as the sole answer to an unresolved import control. Use our inspection guide to write checks around the trim and its intended garment.

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.