Sourcing stage fountains from China

Duty on stage pyrotechnic fountains

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 October 2026, both supplied lines under heading 3604 carried 0% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no listed suspension. The heading covers fireworks and other pyrotechnic articles. For gerbs, confirm whether the actual article belongs under fireworks or other pyrotechnic articles; its theatrical safety category does not itself settle its customs code.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls to both lines. Waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. For a shipment from China involving discarded or unusable gerbs, ask your customs broker to confirm the attached import requirement before shipping. Confirm export controls separately before arranging any waste return.

Only two commodity lines were supplied, so the table contains both without additional invented subdivisions. Confirm the commodity code using the product description and technical documents. See the wider fireworks guide for the broader heading.

Specify the gerb effect and intended use

Specify spark colour, plume height, effect duration, mounting arrangement, ignition interface and intended indoor or outdoor use. Ask for evidence supporting smoke, residue and hot-particle claims rather than accepting a product name or demonstration video as the specification. Agree an approved sample and the documents identifying its construction and composition.

For sale in Great Britain, confirm the applicable conformity assessment and UKCA or CE marking requirements under the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015 with the relevant authority. Category T2 theatrical articles can only be supplied to persons with specialist knowledge. Explosives must be classified before carriage in Great Britain. Match the proposed gerb to its conformity and transport documents before production.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 2,000 stage pyrotechnic fountains, subject to code confirmation under 3604 90 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £6,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £24,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,000, so it is £4,800. 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: compare the delivered model, batch references and construction with the approved sample and the documents covering that article.

Condition: check for crushed tubes, loose closures, damaged ignition leads, moisture staining and disturbed packing. Refer damaged articles to the responsible specialist before handling further.

Labels: check the category, registration number, safety distance and English instructions against the approved artwork and supporting documents.

Effect: have a competent specialist assess samples in a suitable controlled setting against the agreed plume, duration, ignition and residue specification. Record the batch and results.

What goes wrong

A demonstration can hide inconsistent plume height, delayed ignition, excessive smoke or falling hot particles. Treat these as inspection points rather than assuming every batch reproduces the demonstration. A change in composition or construction can also leave the production article outside the documents supplied for classification.

Do not accept an indoor-use claim without supporting evidence for the actual model and intended setting. Agree who reviews the product documents, accepts the transport arrangement and receives the goods before committing to production.

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.