Sourcing uPVC window frames from China

6% duty on uPVC window frames

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 3925 covers builders' ware of plastics, not elsewhere specified or included. uPVC window frames fall within the line for doors, windows and their frames. The table separates buyer configurations sharing that line from plastic fittings intended for permanent installation.

The listed frame and fitting lines carry 6% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension recorded. The frame line also has an import control of fluorinated greenhouse gases. The supplied control note is incomplete: confirm the applicable declaration and supporting documents with your customs broker. Products containing banned fluorinated gases must not be placed on the Great Britain market.

Confirm the commodity code against the goods actually shipped, particularly when buying unfinished profiles, separate fittings or glazed assemblies. For the wider heading, see uPVC external doors.

Specify the frame and the finished window

State whether the order is for welded frames, frames with opening sashes, or complete glazed windows. Agree opening direction, overall dimensions and tolerances, profile cross-sections, reinforcement material and position, weld finish, drainage paths, gasket material, colour and foil finish. Identify glazing beads, cills, coupling profiles and hardware supplied separately.

CE marking continues to be available for construction products placed on the Great Britain market. Before ordering, establish the conformity route for the exact supplied product. Request its declaration of performance and supporting test reports; check that the profile, reinforcement, hardware and glazing configuration match your order. Agree the required thermal, air, water and wind performance with the project designer.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 uPVC window frames, illustrative order under 3925 20 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £19,500. Duty at 6% is £1,170. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £20,670, so it is £4,134. Import taxes total £5,304; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,170 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Geometry: measure overall dimensions and diagonals against the approved drawings; check squareness, straightness and weld corners.

Construction: check reinforcement against the agreed section and position, gasket continuity, drainage openings and glazing-bead fit.

Operation: where sashes and hardware are supplied, check opening, closing, locking, alignment and clearance without forcing the frame.

Arrival: inspect foil, surfaces and corners for transit damage; match frame identifiers to the opening schedule and packing list. Use an agreed inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A frame can match the outside dimensions yet have the wrong opening direction, glazing rebate or cill connection. Missing reinforcement, distorted welded corners and blocked drainage can make installation or operation difficult. Protective film can conceal scratches, while unsupported stacking can distort frames during transport.

Approve a representative assembled sample and freeze the drawings before production. Reject undocumented substitutions to profiles, reinforcement, gaskets or hardware. A report for a different window configuration does not demonstrate the performance of your order; compare the report's specimen description with the supplied assembly.

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.