Sourcing sliced teak veneer from China
Sliced teak veneer from China carries 0% UK duty across the relevant lines, with no anti-dumping duty. Before placing it on the Great Britain market, confirm timber-legality due diligence requirements with the relevant authority and gather species, harvest-country and supply-chain information. Confirm the tariff's CITES control by species. Cambridge China Bridge sources sliced teak veneer.
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Zero duty, with timber legality checks
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 4408 covers veneer sheets and other longitudinally cut wood not exceeding 6 mm thick. Sliced teak falls within the other tropical-wood branches, split by finish and thickness. The table separates surface-finished and end-jointed variants sharing a code. For other species and cutting methods, see the wood veneer sheets guide.
The relevant lines carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no listed suspension. They carry CITES import and export controls. Check the botanical species and ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable documents; where the species requires a CITES permit, obtain it for the movement. The control attached to a commodity code needs a species-specific check.
Confirm with the relevant authority how the UK Timber Regulations apply to veneer placed on the Great Britain market. Gather species, harvest-country and supply-chain information, assess and reduce illegal-harvest risk, and keep records. Confirm the finish, thickness and species through finding your commodity code. The duty and VAT guide explains the calculation.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sliced teak veneer, planed or sanded | 4408 39 55 00 | 0% | None |
| Sliced teak veneer, not planed, sanded or end-jointed, up to 1 mm | 4408 39 85 00 | 0% | None |
| Sliced teak veneer, not planed, sanded or end-jointed, over 1 mm | 4408 39 95 90 | 0% | None |
Specify teak leaves and matching
Specify the botanical species, country of harvest and whether the product is natural sliced teak or a reconstructed decorative veneer. Agree leaf length, usable width, thickness tolerance, cut direction, colour range and permitted sapwood, knots and splits. Approve physical samples showing the intended book match or slip match.
Ask the supplier to preserve consecutive leaf order within labelled bundles and identify which bundles belong together. Agree moisture limits for your storage and pressing process, protective packing and a trial pressing with your chosen substrate, adhesive and finish. For Myanmar harvests, check suppliers and intermediaries against the UK Sanctions List before paying.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative: 1 cubic metre of sliced teak veneer, 0.6 mm thick under 4408 39 85 00, invoiced at £12,000 free on board, with £2,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £14,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £14,800, so it is £2,960. 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
Identity and records: compare bundle labels with the agreed species, harvest records and supply-chain documents.
Thickness and usable size: measure sampled leaves at several points and check usable dimensions after trimming split edges.
Moisture and condition: use a calibrated meter appropriate to the veneer and look for mould, staining, brittle edges and transport damage.
Matching and pressing: lay out consecutive leaves against the approved sample, check bundle counts and trial the intended glue and finish. See quality inspection explained.
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What goes wrong
Bundles can look acceptable individually but produce mismatched furniture faces when consecutive leaves are mixed. Excess sapwood, unexpected colour changes and split edges reduce usable yield. Uneven thickness shows through after pressing; wet packs develop mould or stains, while overly dry leaves split during handling.
An invoice describing Chinese manufacture does not establish where the teak was harvested. Missing harvest and supply-chain records leave the timber due diligence incomplete. Collect those records before shipment, and agree how damaged or out-of-grade leaves will be identified and replaced.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on sliced teak veneer from China?
The relevant heading 4408 lines carry 0% duty in the supplied tariff reading, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no listed suspension.
Do I need timber due diligence for teak veneer?
Confirm timber-legality due diligence requirements with the relevant authority before placing it on the Great Britain market.
Does the CITES tariff control mean all teak needs a permit?
Check the botanical species rather than relying on the trade name. The tariff attaches CITES controls; ask your customs broker to confirm the documents applicable to your shipment.
How do I keep sliced teak veneer matched?
Approve a physical matching sample, require consecutive leaves to remain in labelled bundles, and lay out sampled bundles before pressing. Check colour, sapwood and grain against the sample.