Sourcing travel jewellery cases from China

Duty follows the case construction and outer surface

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 28 October 2026, heading 4202 includes jewellery boxes and similar containers. The table gives candidate lines for travel jewellery cases by outer surface and manufacturing method. Send your broker photographs, dimensions, opening details and the material specification to confirm the commodity code. A lining description or a supplier's coating name alone is insufficient.

The selected leather, composition leather and textile lines carry 2% duty for goods from China; the plastic-sheeting line carries 8%. These lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. Import VAT is 20%. Hand-made and other leather or textile cases have separate lines at the same rate.

The leather and textile lines attach CITES import and export controls; the leather lines also attach cat and dog fur and seal-product controls. Confirm restrictions on cat and dog fur with the relevant authority or your broker. CITES-listed materials need the appropriate documentation; confirm the species and requirement with your broker. Confirm seal-product prohibitions and any exemptions with the relevant authority; commercial imports require a seal catch certificate. For China-sourced cases containing seal material, confirm eligibility with your broker before ordering.

Specify ring rolls, necklace retention and the lining

State whether the product is a zipped box, folding case or jewellery roll. Specify external and usable internal dimensions, outer material and coating, shell stiffness, lining, padding, removable dividers, mirror attachment and closure. Approve a finished sample with the jewellery shapes you intend it to hold.

Specify ring-roll spacing, earring-hole positions and necklace hooks with a retaining pocket or flap. Close the loaded sample and turn it over: chains should stay separated, earrings should remain secured and taller pieces should not press against the lid. Agree acceptance criteria for lining shedding, colour transfer, adhesive marks and exposed hard edges.

Consumer cases supplied in Great Britain must be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. Check sharp fittings, loose mirror edges and detachable decorations. Ask for material-specific chemical testing of coatings, adhesives and linings through testing and certification; retain the approved sample and test evidence.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 300 textile-covered travel jewellery cases, illustrative order under 4202 92 98 90, invoiced at £3,450 free on board, with £420 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,870. Duty at 2% is £77.40. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,947.40, so it is £789.48. Import taxes total £866.88; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £77.40 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Materials: compare the outer surface, lining, padding and divider stiffness with the approved sample. Rub pale cloth against the lining and check for dye transfer, loose fibres and adhesive residue.

Retention: load representative jewellery, close the case and turn it over. Check necklace tangling, rings escaping their rolls, earrings slipping out and dividers lifting from the base.

Closure and fittings: work the zip or clasp with the case loaded. Check snagging, loose stitching, sharp hardware, mirror security and pressure marks inside the lid.

Arrival condition: inspect for crushed shells, damp packaging, mould, peeling coverings and print transfer. Photograph affected cases and cartons; use the inspection guide to organise the checks.

What goes wrong

A sample can look tidy when empty yet fail once loaded. Shallow lids press on jewellery, loose dividers let pieces migrate, rough lining catches chains and exposed adhesive marks polished surfaces. Agree a loaded-case trial and compare production samples with the retained sample before dispatch.

Treat anti-tarnish and scratch-protection descriptions as claims to verify with the intended jewellery and lining combination. Keep the material specification fixed when reordering. For the wider jewellery-box family, see wooden jewellery boxes.

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.