Sourcing silver cufflinks from China

UK duty on silver cufflinks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 31 October 2026, heading 7113 covers jewellery and its parts of precious metal or metal clad with precious metal. Silver cufflinks fall within 7113 11 00 00, including silver plated or clad with other precious metal, at 2% duty from China. The supplied tariff facts show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table shows cufflink variants sharing the silver commodity line.

The tariff attaches ivory, CITES and seal-product import controls, plus a restriction on entry into free circulation associated with Russian sanctions. CITES-listed materials need permit checks; seal products for trade need a seal catch certificate. Listed ivory requires an exemption for dealing. For a China order containing these materials, confirm eligibility and documents with your customs broker before shipping. Also confirm whether the sanctions restriction affects the goods or their origin.

Use the commodity-code guide to confirm classification from the actual construction. The wider silver guide covers other silver products. A silver-coloured finish alone does not establish that a cufflink belongs on the silver line.

Specify the silver body and cufflink mechanism

State silver fineness, finished weight and tolerance, face dimensions, post length, and whether the fastening is a toggle, fixed back or chain. Identify the material of the face, post, back and solder separately. Agree plating metal and thickness, engraving artwork, orientation and depth, and any stone or enamel specification.

Plan hallmarking before sale where needed. Ask the assay office to confirm any weight exemption and how mixed-material rules apply to your cufflink design. Reserve a suitable marking position so the hallmark does not interfere with engraving or the mechanism.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 800 pairs of silver cufflinks, illustrative under 7113 11 00 00, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £30,800. Duty at 2% is £616. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £31,416, so it is £6,283.20. Import taxes total £6,899.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £616 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Silver and weight: test production samples for fineness, including posts, backs and solder, and weigh against the agreed specification.

Fastenings: operate toggles repeatedly, check retention and hinge play, and inspect solder joints and edges for cracking or snagging on shirt cuffs.

Pairs and finish: compare face size, colour, engraving orientation and stone alignment within each pair; inspect plating, enamel and settings under magnification.

Marks and packing: check legally recognised hallmarks where required, separate the cufflinks to prevent rubbing, and assess tarnish protection during inspection.

What goes wrong

A silver face can hide a substituted post or back. Loose toggles, weak solder joints and sharp edges can make a cufflink unusable even when the face looks correct. Engraving can be reversed or placed differently across a pair, while packing the pieces together can scratch polished surfaces.

Approve a complete working pair rather than a face sample. Compare production against it for construction, weight, mechanism and finish. A fineness stamp is not a substitute for checking the required hallmark, and a material change after sample approval should trigger a fresh review.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.