Rubber and self-inking stamps from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 9611 covers date, sealing or numbering stamps and the like, including devices for printing or embossing labels, designed for operating in the hand, and hand-operated composing sticks and hand printing sets incorporating such composing sticks. It is a single line at 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.

The tariff also attaches a CITES import control to 9611, because traditional seals can be carved from ivory, horn, tortoiseshell or other protected materials. Rubber sheet for making stamps is classified as rubber, and stamp pads and ink sold separately follow their own headings, so confirm the commodity code.

Ink, toy and protected-material rules

Stamp ink is a mixture, so if it meets a hazard classification it needs labelling under the retained CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, and a safety data sheet should be on file. Office stamps for consumers must be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.

Stamp sets designed for children to play with are toys under the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, which brings UKCA or CE marking, small-parts and chemical limits and a responsible person in the UK. Seals of ivory are caught by the Ivory Act 2018, and other protected materials need CITES permits.

Specifying stamps

Specify the mechanism (self-inking, pre-inked, traditional mounted, dater or numberer), impression size, die material (laser-engraved rubber or photopolymer), ink colour and type, date band range and language, frame colour and branding, replacement pad part numbers, and packaging. Supply artwork as vector files and approve a printed proof of each die.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 5,000 self-inking date stamps, commodity code 9611 00 00 00, bought for £7,500 free on board, with £600 of freight and insurance, so £8,100 is the value customs works from. No duty is due on date stamps; import VAT at 20% of £8,100 is £1,620. If you are VAT-registered, that VAT is normally reclaimable. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

Inspection checklist

Impression: stamp each sampled unit on standard office paper and compare sharpness, fill and position with the approved proof, including the finest text.

Mechanism: run an agreed number of cycles on sampled self-inking units, and check the date bands turn and lock, the frame does not crack and the pad stays seated.

Ink and documents: check ink colour and drying time, pad saturation and leakage in transit, and the safety data sheet and any hazard labelling.

What goes wrong

Stamp orders fail on impression, mechanism and ink. Small text fills in, date bands slip or jam, frames crack after light use, pads dry out or leak in the carton, and ink colours differ between batches.

Approve proofs, test cycles and inks before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources stamps for UK stationery suppliers and offices, from small first runs of custom designs. See small orders.