Sourcing washed duck feathers from China

Zero duty, with animal-product controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 October 2026, heading 0505 covers feathers and down not further worked than cleaned, disinfected or treated for preservation, alongside bird skins, feather powder and waste. Washed duck feathers for stuffing fall within the processed line 0505 10 90 00. Its China duty is 0%, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension recorded. The table separates buying descriptions under the same code.

The processed line carries veterinary control and waste import and export controls. Commercial treated-feather imports require pre-notification and veterinary checks. Ask your customs broker to confirm the common health entry document and supporting documents for the consignment. In England, waste shipment controls apply only when the material is waste. If waste status is uncertain, confirm the applicable route with your broker and environmental authority before shipping.

The other-feathers line 0505 90 00 00 also carries CITES import and export controls. For protected-species material, confirm the applicable permits before ordering. Check the commodity code against the species, processing and intended use. For comparison within this heading, see washed goose feathers.

Specify feather grade and recognised treatment

Specify duck species, white or grey colour, feather size distribution, down content, broken feathers, quill stiffness, moisture, residual grease, dust and odour. Agree acceptance criteria against a retained sample and describe the intended pillow, cushion or upholstery use. Ask for composition and cleanliness testing rather than accepting a description such as ‘washed feather grade’.

Treated feathers may come from China, but confirm the producing establishment’s eligibility with APHA or your customs broker before ordering. Check the actual processor through factory verification. Obtain treatment records and ask APHA or your broker to confirm whether the method is accepted. Check the exporter’s signed commercial document with them, including its timing, establishment details, treatment information and any bird-health declarations. Confirm whether the feathers are eligible for import before dispatch.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative trial consignment of washed white duck feathers for pillow filling under 0505 10 90 00, invoiced at £1,500 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,400, so it is £480. 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

Composition: sample across bales and compare duck identity, feather size, down content and broken quills with the agreed specification and retained sample.

Cleanliness: check dust, grease, foreign matter and odour; compare laboratory moisture, oxygen number and turbidity results with the agreed acceptance criteria.

Packing: inspect arriving bales for damp, mould, tears and contamination; reconcile net weight and bale marks with the packing list.

Traceability: match processor identity, batch references and treatment records to the commercial document. Plan representative sampling using the inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A feather grade can conceal excessive broken quills, dust or a different size distribution from the sample. Poor washing leaves grease and odour, while damp packing can undermine an otherwise acceptable lot. Examine samples from across the shipment rather than relying on the supplier’s presentation sample.

A supplier’s ‘washed’ description does not establish recognised treatment or processor approval. Resolve the treatment records, commercial document and import notification before dispatch. Keep batch identity intact when receiving and reselling the feathers so that customer specifications can be traced to the supplied lot.

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.