Sourcing sunglasses and safety glasses from China

Duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, sunglasses with optically worked lenses, sunglasses with plastic lenses, and other spectacles and goggles with plastic lenses carried 2% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.

A suspension also runs to 31 December 2028 for protective spectacles and goggles under 9004 90 10 00: they enter at 0% when the declaration claims it with document code 9Y11, while other plastic-lensed spectacles on that line stay at 2%. The same suspension covers protective spectacles and goggles with lenses of other materials under 9004 90 90 00, which otherwise pay 2%.

Frames and lenses bought separately have their own codes; confirm the commodity code for the form you import. For readers, see our ready-made reading glasses sourcing guide.

Sunglasses and safety eyewear are PPE

Annex I of Regulation 2016/425, as it applies in Great Britain, lists damage to the eyes due to exposure to sunlight, other than during observation of the sun, among the category I risks. Sunglasses are therefore personal protective equipment in category I, which the manufacturer can self-certify, usually against the sunglasses standard, with the filter category marked on the frame.

Safety spectacles and goggles against impact generally protect against category II risks, which need type examination before the UKCA or CE mark is applied. Protection against chemicals or dust may fall within category III where hazardous substances can cause death or irreversible damage to health, requiring type examination and ongoing production oversight. Ask the factory for the certificate and test reports for the exact model; the cycle helmet guide and the medical and PPE guide cover PPE routes. For welding applications, see our auto-darkening welding goggles sourcing guide.

Lenses and frames

Specify the lens material, UV protection, filter category, polarisation and coatings, and the frame material and hinge. Check lens quality for distortion, filter category marking and hinge strength on samples at inspection.

Branded sunglasses sell on case and packaging as much as on the frame; approve those with the samples.

Worked duty example

Take a hypothetical order of 30,000 pairs of polarised sunglasses, entered under 9004 10 91 00: £45,000 free on board plus £2,500 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £47,500. The 2% duty on sunglasses comes to £950, and import VAT is 20% of £48,450, which is £9,690. If you are VAT-registered you normally reclaim the £9,690, leaving £950 as the real cost at the border. Protective goggles declared under 9004 90 10 00 with document code 9Y11 would enter at 0% while the suspension runs. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.

Inspection checklist

Filter and UV: measure luminous transmittance and ultraviolet transmittance with a spectrophotometer by the methods of BS EN ISO 12311 on lenses from several colours, and check the filter category marked on the frame matches the measured value.

Strength: for sunglasses check minimum robustness by the ISO 12311 method, and for safety eyewear confirm the marked impact grade, such as F for low-energy impact, was tested by the methods of BS EN 168.

Frames and marking: test nickel release to BS EN 1811 on metal parts touching the skin, check polarisation axis with a reference polariser, and check the UKCA mark, filter category, manufacturer details and English user information on every style.

What goes wrong

Eyewear fails on the filter, the lens and the frame. Lenses are marked with the wrong filter category, so a category 4 lens unsuitable for driving is sold without the warning, and UV 400 claims are printed without a test. Cheap lenses distort or have prism error, polarising film is misaligned, anti-reflective and mirror coatings peel, hinge screws loosen, and metal frames release nickel where they touch the skin. Safety spectacles carry BS EN 166 markings that the model was never tested to.

Measure luminous transmittance and UV transmission on samples to confirm the filter category, test to BS EN ISO 12312-1 for sunglasses and BS EN 166 for safety eyewear, check lenses for distortion against a grid, check polarisation alignment, cycle the hinges, check coating adhesion, and confirm the markings and user information match the certificate or self-declaration.

Minimums and branding

Stock frames with your logo keep minimums low; own moulds and colours raise them. Cambridge China Bridge sources own-brand sunglasses and safety eyewear, with the PPE category, certification and marking confirmed for each model. See how our sourcing service works.