Sourcing soft contact lenses from China

UK duty on soft contact lenses

Heading 9001 includes contact lenses alongside other unmounted optical elements. Soft contact lenses use 9001 30 00 00; the table shows product variants sharing that code, rather than separate tariff lines. See the optical lenses and fibres guide for the wider heading.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 18 October 2026, contact lenses from China carry 2% duty. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for this line. Medical-device and sales rules still need checking separately.

Confirm the product's intended purpose and commodity code before ordering. Keep lens-care liquids and accessories separately identified on the supplier's documents.

Specify the lens and settle the sales route

Specify hydrogel or silicone hydrogel, corrective or cosmetic use, power range, base curve, diameter, replacement schedule and packing format. For toric lenses, include cylinder and axis; for coloured lenses, approve the colour and pigment construction. Agree measurable tolerances and match the sample, label artwork and production specification.

Confirm with the relevant authorities whether contact-lens sales, including zero-powered cosmetic lenses, must be by or under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner, optometrist or dispensing optician, and which exceptions apply. For corrective lenses, confirm with the MHRA whether medical-device rules apply and which UKCA or CE documentation and registration are required before placing them on the Great Britain market.

For medical devices from a Chinese manufacturer, confirm with the MHRA whether a UK Responsible Person is required and how the GB importer should notify the manufacturer or that representative of its intention to import and arrange submission of its details to the regulator. Registration is not regulatory approval. Ask for documents matching the actual manufacturer, lens model and packaging.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 10,000 soft contact lenses, illustrative only under 9001 30 00 00, invoiced at £10,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £10,800. Duty at 2% is £216. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £11,016, so it is £2,203.20. Import taxes total £2,419.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £216 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Optics: check power, diameter and base curve against the agreed specification using suitable lens-testing equipment; include cylinder and axis for toric orders.

Sterility: obtain sterilisation validation and inspect blister seals for leakage or damage. A visual packaging check alone cannot establish sterility.

Labels: match blister and carton details to the approved artwork, including lens parameters, batch identity and expiry date; reconcile these with the shipment records.

Appearance: check hydrated lenses for tears, edge defects and unwanted particles, and coloured lenses against the approved sample. Agree sampling and testing through the inspection guide.

What goes wrong

Orders fail when the label and lens parameters differ, blister seals leak or expiry information is inconsistent. Coloured lenses can also have pigment that is not sealed inside the lens. Keep suspect batches separate while the supplier investigates and the buyer reviews the test evidence.

A factory certificate can relate to another model or site, while a registration record can be mistaken for product approval. Match documents to the ordered lenses before shipment and settle the professional sales arrangements before accepting retail stock.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For components and parts, see sourcing for manufacturers.