Sourcing silver jewellery and silver from China
Unwrought and semi-manufactured silver from China pays 0% UK duty, and silver jewellery and silverware 2%, with no anti-dumping duty. Under the Hallmarking Act 1973, silver articles are exempt from hallmarking only below 7.78 grams, so heavier pieces sold as silver must be hallmarked at a UK assay office. Cambridge China Bridge sources sterling silver jewellery, with assay planned.
Silver and silverware pay 0% to 2% UK duty from China. Items of 7.78 g or more must be hallmarked before they can be described as silver.
Duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, silver in unwrought form and semi-manufactured silver carried 0% duty on goods from China, and articles of jewellery and goldsmiths' or silversmiths' wares of silver carried 2%. No line carried an anti-dumping measure.
Fashion jewellery of base metal is a different product; the jewellery guide covers the whole category, and the findings guide the components.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver, unwrought | 7106 91 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Silver, semi-manufactured | 7106 92 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Articles of jewellery of silver | 7113 11 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Silversmiths' wares of silver | 7114 11 00 00 | 2% | None |
Hallmarking
Under the Hallmarking Act 1973, an article cannot be described as silver in the UK unless it is hallmarked, subject to exemptions. Paragraph 12 of Part II of Schedule 1 exempts articles containing only one precious metal of minimum fineness and below a set weight: 7.78 grams for silver, 1 gram for gold, 0.5 gram for platinum and 1 gram for palladium. Paragraph 12(2) limits the exemption for some articles made from 2008 or containing non-precious materials, so check the rule for each design.
A heavier silver piece therefore goes to a UK assay office for testing and marking before sale, which takes time and adds cost. Plan assay into the lead time, and ask the factory for the fineness of every component, including clasps and solder, because an article that fails assay cannot be sold as silver.
| Precious metal | Exempt below |
|---|---|
| Silver | 7.78 grams |
| Gold | 1 gram |
| Platinum | 0.5 gram |
| Palladium | 1 gram |
Plating, nickel and stones
Sterling silver is often rhodium or gold plated; state the plating and its thickness, and ask for a nickel release test for items worn against the skin. Stones and settings should be named and checked, and any claim about a stone must be supported.
Weigh and test samples from production at inspection, because silver price moves make lighter-than-sample pieces a common substitution.
Buying by weight
Silver jewellery is usually priced as metal weight plus labour, so agree the metal price reference and the weight tolerance per piece in the order, and reconcile on delivery.
Cambridge China Bridge sources sterling silver jewellery and silverware, with fineness, weight and plating specified and UK assay planned into the lead time. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on silver jewellery from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, articles of jewellery of silver carried 2% duty from China, and unwrought and semi-manufactured silver 0%, with no anti-dumping duty.
Does silver jewellery need a UK hallmark?
To be described as silver, yes, unless exempt. Under Schedule 1 of the Hallmarking Act 1973, silver articles below 7.78 grams are exempt, with limits for some newer or mixed-material items.
What are the hallmarking weight exemptions?
Below 7.78 g for silver, 1 g for gold, 0.5 g for platinum and 1 g for palladium, for articles containing only one precious metal of minimum fineness.
How is silver jewellery usually priced?
As metal weight plus labour, so agree the silver price reference and weight tolerance per piece in the order.