Sourcing tiles, sanitaryware and PVC pipes from China
For tiles, sanitaryware and PVC pipes from China, write the grade, size, shade and calibre, glaze and fittings, and the pipe standard and pressure class into the order, then check shade lots, breakage and piece counts before loading. Our staff in China inspect and count at the factory, and we quote to the UK or your port. Cambridge China Bridge sources this, from trial orders to full containers.
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Products and search terms
floor tiles, porcelain tiles, ceramic tiles, sanitary ware, sanitaryware, PVC pipes, building materials
Wrong grades and short shipments start at the order
Most disputes with building-materials suppliers come from an order that never fixed the grade. A tile quote that says 60 by 60 porcelain does not say which grade, which shade lot or which calibre, and a factory can ship any of them against it. Write every one of those into the order and the proforma invoice, with the approved sample referenced by number.
Short shipments are a counting problem. Agree the count per pallet and per carton, and have the goods counted at the factory before the container is sealed, not at the port after it opens. Our own staff in China do that count and send the loading record with photographs and the seal number.
| Product | Specify | Check before loading |
|---|---|---|
| Floor and wall tiles | Body type, size, thickness, surface finish, grade, shade and calibre, rectified or not, and any slip or water-absorption claim with its test | Shade lot and calibre against the approved sample, chipped edges, and count per pallet |
| Sanitaryware | Model, glaze colour, fixing points, fittings supplied and any flush or water-use claim with its test | Glaze defects, cracks, fittings in the box and fit with the stated seat or cistern |
| PVC pipes and fittings | The pipe standard, size, wall thickness, pressure class, colour and marking | Printed marking, measured wall thickness on sampled pipes and bundle counts |
| Packing | Crates, pallets, corner protection, carton marks by model and shade lot | Packed pallets opened, marks matching the packing list |
UK import duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, the lines below carried 6% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping duty. Sanitaryware and plastic pipes and fittings are 6%; the sanitaryware lines also carry a waste import control, answered by a not-waste declaration. Ceramic tiles are heading 6907; check their line and any trade remedy before quoting.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramic sinks, basins, baths, WC pans and similar, of porcelain or china | 6910 10 00 00 | 6% |
| Ceramic sanitary fixtures of other ceramics | 6910 90 00 00 | 6% |
| Rigid tubes, pipes and hoses of PVC, other | 3917 23 90 90 | 6% |
| Other flexible tubes, not reinforced, without fittings | 3917 32 00 90 | 6% |
| Plastic fittings for tubes and pipes (joints, elbows, flanges), other | 3917 40 00 99 | 6% |
Heavy goods fill a container by weight
Tiles and sanitaryware usually reach a container's weight limit before its volume, so a quote per container depends on the weight per box as much as the price per square metre. Ask each factory for the packed weight and the quantity it proposes to load, and compare quotes on that basis.
Mixing products in one container is common for a distributor. Agree which factory delivers to which consolidation warehouse and when, and keep shade lots separate on the packing list so that one project's floor does not arrive in two colours. The container loading check sets out what the report shows.
Papers for the UK and for your own market
In Great Britain, construction products covered by a designated standard or a UK technical assessment can carry the UK marking, while compliant CE-marked products are also accepted, and the manufacturer must produce a declaration of performance whose reference number appears with the marking. Importers put their own name and address on the product and check that the manufacturer has done its part. Ask the factory for the declaration and the test basis before you order.
For other markets, the destination rules come first. We quote to your own port, a Chinese port or ex-works, and your importer and customs broker handle the entry at your end. The country guides, such as Nigeria, set out the certificates that have to be arranged in China before shipping, which is the part we handle with the factory.
For the tile specification, shade and calibre checks and the anti-dumping rates in detail, see our ceramic and porcelain tiles guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop receiving the wrong tile grade from China?
Write grade, shade lot and calibre into the order against a numbered approved sample, and have them checked at the factory before the container is sealed.
How can I prevent short shipments of building materials?
Agree counts per carton and pallet, and have the goods counted and photographed at loading with the seal number recorded, before you release the balance payment.
Do you ship building materials outside the UK?
Yes. We quote to your own port, a Chinese port or ex-works, and manage the factory checks, counting and loading in China.