Sourcing toughened shower screens from China

Duty on shower-screen glass

Heading 7007 covers toughened and laminated safety glass. This guide concerns toughened shower-screen glass panels. Clear and frosted panels, enamelled panels and body-tinted or coated panels can fall under different lines. The table separates clear and frosted panels for purchasing purposes, although they share a commodity code.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the relevant lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls for these lines. Import VAT is normally 20%.

Ask your customs broker to confirm the classification from the finish, processing and supplied configuration, particularly where the shipment includes a complete enclosure and fittings. Use finding your commodity code. For the wider heading, see toughened and laminated glass. For acoustic applications, see sourcing acoustic laminated glass. For greenhouse glazing, see our guide to sourcing toughened greenhouse glass from China.

Panel drawings, fittings and performance documents

Specify glass thickness, finished dimensions, hole centres, notch shapes, edge finish, appearance and the face carrying any coating. Identify fixed panels, hinged doors and sliding panels separately. Approve the drawing against the actual hinges, clamps, seals and wall profiles. Cutting, drilling and edge work must be completed before toughening. For court glazing, see our toughened squash-court glass sourcing guide.

For building glass, obtain the declaration of performance and reports covering the ordered glass type and thickness, and check the permanent mark. CE marking remains recognised for construction products placed on the Great Britain market. Confirm that the documents describe the supplied product and intended use, rather than an unrelated glass sample.

Agree an assembled sample using the ordered fittings. Check door movement, seal contact and alignment with the tray. Record the approved appearance and packaging so production and arrival checks have a clear reference.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 800 toughened shower-screen panels, illustrative order under 7007 19 80 95, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £5,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £45,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £45,000, so it is £9,000. 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

Dimensions: measure panel dimensions, diagonals, holes and notches against the approved drawing, and trial-fit the hinges and clamps.

Glass: check edges for chips, faces for scratches and reflections for distortion. Review fragmentation-test evidence for the ordered thickness and furnace run.

Documents and marks: match the permanent mark, declaration of performance and test reports to the manufacturer and glass supplied.

Arrival and packing: photograph crates before unpacking, inspect interleaving and edge protection, and record broken panels, missing fittings and damaged seals. Set these checks in the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

Incorrect hole centres leave hinges misaligned; oversized notches expose gaps around fittings; bow prevents seals meeting evenly. These problems cannot be corrected by cutting or drilling toughened glass after delivery. Check first-off panels with the actual hardware before approving production.

Panels can arrive scratched where interleaving has slipped or chipped where edges touch the crate. Toughened glass can also break spontaneously because of nickel sulphide inclusions. For large panels, discuss heat soak testing and batch records with the supplier. Keep damaged panes separate while documenting the claim.

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.