Sourcing soft plastic fishing baits from China

Duty on soft plastic fishing baits

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, soft plastic fishing lures fall within the other tackle line of heading 9507, normally 9507 90 00 00. Duty on goods from China is 2%, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension listed. The table shows bait shapes sharing that commodity line.

The tariff attaches import and export controls on cat and dog fur to this line. Imports and exports of that fur and products made from it are banned, including goods from China. Specify plastic-only baits without fur additions. The tariff also attaches a cultural-object export licence control; confirm any relevant export requirement with your customs broker.

Confirm the commodity code using the actual material, construction and any attached hooks or weights. For related equipment, see fishing rods, reels and tackle.

Specify the compound and swimming action

Specify the polymer, softener system, hardness, body dimensions, tail profile, colour, glitter, salt and scent additions. Agree whether the bait should float or sink and the intended hook arrangement. Keep an approved sample for each material and colour combination.

UK businesses importing or selling consumer products are responsible for their safety. Ask for the ingredient declaration and product-specific safety evidence, then agree suitable checks through testing and certification. Treat biodegradability and environmental claims as matters requiring evidence.

Agree the retail pouch material and storage conditions. Test the finished bait in its intended pouch and alongside any other bait materials supplied in the same pack.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 2,000 retail assortments of soft plastic fishing baits, illustrative only under 9507 90 00 00, invoiced at £14,000 free on board, with £1,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £15,000. Duty at 2% is £300. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £15,300, so it is £3,060. Import taxes total £3,360; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £300 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Shape: measure bodies against the specification and check thin tails for short moulding, tears, flash and permanent bends.

Action: compare samples in water with the approved bait using the agreed rig and retrieve; check tail movement and floating or sinking behaviour.

Material: compare softness, stretch and hook retention; check colour transfer, surface oil and compatibility between packed bait materials.

Packing: verify assortment contents, pouch seals and label descriptions; check that packed tails retain their shape. Set these checks out in the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A substituted compound can change softness, hook retention and swimming action even when the colour looks correct. Thin tails can tear or arrive bent, while incompatible materials can become sticky or distort in shared packaging.

Approve the bait and pouch together. Compare production samples with retained references and agree rejection criteria for damaged tails, leaking pouches, colour transfer and missing assortment contents before shipment.

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.