Sourcing upholstery tacks from China

Duty on upholstery tacks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 October 2026, the relevant upholstery tack lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension, steel measure or attached import control.

Heading 7317 covers iron or steel tacks, including those with heads of other materials, but excludes copper-headed articles. Loose wire-made tacks fall within the other wire-made articles line; cut or otherwise non-wire-made tacks fall within the other articles line. The table repeats relevant codes for different product descriptions rather than presenting separate tariff lines.

Confirm the shank material, head material and manufacturing method with your customs broker using finding your commodity code. See the wider nails, staples and tacks guide for the rest of the heading.

Shanks, decorative heads and finish matching

Specify whether the tack secures fabric beneath the furniture or forms visible decorative trim. Agree shank length, diameter, point shape, head diameter, head profile and tolerances against a drawing. State whether the head is integral or attached, and identify its actual material separately from the finish colour.

Approve the finish on physical samples alongside the intended fabric and timber. Record colour, gloss, texture and coating process, including the appearance of antique finishes. Trial the tack in the intended frame timber and fabric assembly, checking seating, bending, head attachment and damage to the covering.

For tacks intended for or likely to be used by consumers, general product safety rules apply in Great Britain and require safety in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Include exposed points, sharp head edges and heads coming loose in your product assessment. These checks should inform the agreed specification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Mixed cartons of loose steel-wire upholstery tacks for a furniture supplies business; illustrative stock order under 7317 00 60 00, invoiced at £22,000 free on board, with £2,000 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

Dimensions: measure shank length and diameter, head size and point shape against the drawing; inspect bent shanks and off-centre heads.

Driving and retention: drive production samples into the intended timber through the covering; check bending, seating, fabric tearing and head separation.

Finish: compare production against the approved physical sample; check colour consistency, scratches, bare patches, rust and transfer onto the fabric.

Packing: reconcile contents with carton labels, keep finishes and sizes separate, and check that packaging contains loose sharp points during handling.

What goes wrong

A finish described as brass can conceal a different head material, so colour alone cannot settle classification. Mixed finish shades become conspicuous along decorative trim. Soft shanks bend in hard frame timber, while poorly attached heads can separate during driving. Compare production samples with the approved assembly before accepting the shipment.

Moisture and rubbing in transit can leave rust, scratches or finish transfer that only becomes obvious on pale fabric. Agree protective packing and repeat the fabric contact and driving checks on arrival. Use quality inspection guidance to define the checks before shipment.

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.