Sourcing sawn timber from China
Sawn or chipped wood over 6 mm thick from China, coniferous or hardwood, planed, sanded or end-jointed, pays 0% UK duty on all 75 lines of heading 4407, with no anti-dumping duty. The duty is simple; the rules are not. The importer must carry out UK Timber Regulations due diligence on where the wood was harvested, and conifer and some hardwood species need a phytosanitary certificate.
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 4407 covers wood sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed, of a thickness exceeding 6 mm. All 75 lines, split by coniferous species, tropical species and other hardwoods such as oak, beech, ash and birch, carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Some lines for listed species carry a CITES import control, so check the species against the CITES lists.
Veneer sheets 6 mm thick or less are heading 4408, and wood continuously shaped along an edge, such as tongued and grooved boards, heading 4409; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine (Pinus), sawn, other than planed, sanded or end-jointed | 4407 11 90 90 | 0% | None |
| Fir and spruce, sawn, other than planed, sanded or end-jointed | 4407 12 90 90 | 0% | None |
| Other coniferous wood, sawn, other | 4407 19 90 90 | 0% | None |
| Oak, sawn, other | 4407 91 90 00 | 0% | None |
| Beech, sawn, other | 4407 92 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Ash, sawn, other | 4407 95 99 00 | 0% | None |
| Birch, sawn, other | 4407 96 99 00 | 0% | None |
| Poplar and aspen, sawn, other | 4407 97 99 00 | 0% | None |
| Other hardwood, sawn, other | 4407 99 90 00 | 0% | None |
UK Timber Regulations and plant health
Sawn timber is within the scope of the UK Timber Regulations. The business that first places it on the GB market, usually the importer, must carry out due diligence to show the wood was legally harvested: ask the supplier for the species, the country and region of harvest, and any FSC or PEFC chain of custody certificate, and keep the records. Timber sawn in China from logs imported from elsewhere carries the risk of the country of harvest, not China.
Plant health rules apply as well. Wood of conifers and of certain hardwood genera from China is listed in Annex VII to the retained Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 with conditions such as heat treatment, kiln drying or debarking that must be certified on a phytosanitary certificate. For regulated wood, the importer must register with the Forestry Commission, submit a notice of landing before arrival and present the original certificate within 3 days; check the species with the Forestry Commission before ordering.
Specify species, grade, dimensions and tolerances, moisture content and drying method, surface finish, end-jointing, and packing and strapping.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 40 cubic metres of kiln-dried poplar boards under 4407 97 99 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £2,400 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £20,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £20,400, so it is £4,080. 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
Species and grade: check against the order.
Moisture: check with a meter against the specification.
Documents: check the phytosanitary certificate, harvest records and chain of custody. See our quality inspection guide.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
Sawn timber orders fail on documents and moisture. Harvest origin cannot be evidenced, the phytosanitary certificate does not match the wood or arrives late, and timber sold as kiln dried is wet.
Cambridge China Bridge sources materials for UK manufacturers with documents agreed before shipment. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on sawn timber from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, all 75 lines of heading 4407 carried 0% from China.
Does sawn timber from China need a phytosanitary certificate?
Conifers and certain hardwood genera from China are listed in Annex VII to the retained Regulation (EU) 2019/2072; check the species with the Forestry Commission.
Does the UK Timber Regulations apply to sawn wood?
Yes. The first placer on the GB market, usually the importer, must carry out due diligence on legal harvest.
What if the logs came from another country?
Due diligence covers the country of harvest, so you need evidence from the forest, not just the sawmill.