Sourcing washed goose down 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 other bird materials and feather waste. Washed goose down for stuffing falls within 0505 10 90 00, carrying 0% duty from China. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension is recorded. The table separates buying specifications within the same tariff line.

The tariff attaches veterinary control. Official guidance permits treated down from any trading partner, including China, but requires an establishment approved to export to Great Britain. No health certificate is required under the treated-down guidance; an exporter-completed, signed and dated commercial document is required, recording the premises approval number, consignment and treatment details. Confirm any avian-disease declarations with the Animal and Plant Health Agency before shipment. Commercial imports require pre-notification and veterinary checks. Ask your broker to reconcile these conditions with the tariff's common health entry document requirement.

The tariff also attaches waste import and export controls. Waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. If a China-to-England shipment falls under notification controls, it cannot move until the relevant authorities have consented. Confirm waste status and the applicable route with your broker. Check the commodity code against the actual processing and use. For related products across this heading, see our washed duck down guide.

Specify goose identity, down content and treatment

Specify goose origin, white or grey colour, down cluster content, permitted feather content and intended use. Agree fill power with the test method and sample conditioning stated, plus cleanliness, moisture, residual fat and odour criteria. Retain an approved sample and require laboratory results tied to the supplied batch. Goose identity and down content are separate checks.

Untreated down cannot be imported. Obtain the actual treatment record rather than accepting 'washed' on an invoice. The commercial document must establish factory washing and hot-steam treatment at 100°C for at least 30 minutes, or another accepted treatment; otherwise the consignment must go directly to a registered establishment for treatment after import.

For bedding or outerwear manufacture, match the purchased composition to the claims planned for the finished product. If your customer requires animal-welfare certification, agree the certificate and batch transaction evidence before ordering. Filled products have their own classification; see the bedding guide.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 30 kilograms of washed white goose down under 0505 10 90 00, invoiced at £3,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,900. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,900, so it is £780. 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

Identity: check goose species evidence, colour and composition against the contract and retained sample; investigate duck substitution or undeclared feather blending.

Performance: sample across bales for down content, fill power, oxygen number, turbidity, fat and moisture; compare laboratory results with the agreed specification.

Condition: inspect arriving bales for damp, mould, damaged wrapping, dust and odour; keep suspect material separate while investigating.

Traceability: match bale marks and batch references to processor, treatment and commercial documents, plus certification records where contracted. Plan sampling through the inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A goose-down description can conceal duck substitution, excess feathers or loose fibre. A sample with satisfactory loft may not represent the shipment. Test representative bale samples for species and composition as well as fill power, and compare them with the retained sample before accepting the lot.

Poor washing or damp packing can leave grease, dust and an odour that becomes apparent after storage. Missing treatment evidence creates a separate import problem even when the down looks clean. Resolve processor approval and documents before dispatch, then check bale condition again on arrival.

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.