Sourcing washed goose feathers from China
Washed goose feathers for stuffing from China carry 0% UK duty, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty recorded. Commercial imports into Great Britain need recognised treatment, an approved processor, commercial documents and pre-notification. Washing alone does not establish compliance. Cambridge China Bridge sources washed goose feathers.
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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, plus other bird material and feather waste. Washed goose feathers of a kind used for stuffing fall within 0505 10 90 00. Duty on goods from China is 0%, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension recorded. The table separates buying specifications under the same code.
The tariff attaches veterinary control and waste import and export controls to this code. Treated feathers may come from any trading partner, including China, but must come from an establishment approved to export to Great Britain. Untreated feathers cannot be imported. Commercial consignments require a commercial document and pre-notification. Ask your broker to confirm the common health entry document and entry arrangements for the actual treatment and use.
Waste shipment controls apply when the material is waste. For waste entering England under notification controls, shipment must await consent from the Environment Agency and the other competent authorities involved. Ask your broker to confirm whether any feather residues are waste and which route applies. Confirm the commodity code against the processing and intended use. For the related feather and down family, see washed goose down.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washed white goose feathers for stuffing | 0505 10 90 00 | 0% | None |
Specify goose species, feather grade and treatment
Specify goose feathers rather than down, colour, feather size distribution, permitted down content, broken quills and foreign matter. Agree cleanliness, moisture, residual grease and odour against a retained sample. Trial the filling in your actual pillow casing to check quill penetration, feel and recovery after compression.
Ask for the washing and subsequent treatment records, not just a supplier statement saying washed. The commercial document must identify the processor's approval number and describe the consignment; ask the relevant authority or customs broker to confirm any treatment, bird-health and origin-area declarations needed in it. Check the actual processing premises through factory verification.
Agree laboratory checks for composition, oxygen number, turbidity, fat and moisture against your contract. Keep batch references on samples and bales so the laboratory result can be matched to the shipment.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative trial order: 90 kg of washed white goose feathers for pillow manufacture 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
Identity: compare goose species, colour, feather grading and down content with the contract and retained sample; investigate mixed species or excessive broken quills.
Cleanliness: sample across bales for dust, grease, damp, mould and odour; compare laboratory results with the agreed acceptance criteria.
Packing: check bale seams, liners and compression for damage or trapped moisture; confirm packing marks and net weights against the packing list.
Traceability: match bale references, processor approval details and treatment records to the commercial document. Use the inspection guide to brief the inspector.
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What goes wrong
A clean-looking sample can conceal a shipment with more coarse feathers, broken quills or dust. Damp packing can produce odour after arrival, while sharp quills can escape through the buyer's casing. Agree the feather grade in writing and inspect shipment samples rather than relying on the sales sample.
A washing invoice does not establish that the recognised treatment was completed. Missing treatment records or mismatched processor details leave the import route unresolved. Settle the documents before dispatch and keep suspect arrival bales separate while you investigate.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on washed goose feathers from China?
Washed goose feathers for stuffing under 0505 10 90 00 carry 0% duty. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension is recorded in the supplied tariff snapshot.
Can washed goose feathers be imported from China?
Yes, subject to the treated-feather conditions for Great Britain. China is permitted, but processor approval, recognised treatment, commercial documents and pre-notification must be settled.
Is a washing certificate enough for goose feathers?
A washing certificate alone does not establish compliance. Ask for the treatment records and the exporter’s commercial document, and have your broker check them against the treated-feather import conditions.
What should I check before buying goose feathers for pillows?
Check feather grading, down content, broken quills, dust, grease, moisture and odour. Trial the filling with your own casing and match laboratory reports to the shipment batch.