Sourcing wicker shopping baskets from China

UK duty on wicker shopping baskets

Heading 4602 covers basketwork and wickerwork made directly to shape from plaiting materials or assembled from goods of heading 4601, as well as articles of loofah. For shopping baskets, identify the actual material rather than using “wicker” as the material description: willow and rattan have different commodity lines.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, the willow and rattan lines shown here carry 2% duty for goods from China. The supplied facts list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls on these lines. The wider heading includes a 0% bottle-envelope line and a 4% line for other materials; these are not the natural wicker shopping baskets covered here.

Confirm the material and whether the basket is hand-made before choosing the commodity code. Give your customs broker photographs and the construction specification. For the wider basketwork heading, see our wicker laundry baskets guide.

Specify the basket and its carrying load

Specify willow or rattan, internal dimensions, base shape, weave, rim binding and handle construction. State whether handles are fixed or folding, the hand clearance required and whether baskets must nest for shop storage. Approve a physical sample showing the finish, liner fit and acceptable natural colour variation.

Agree a carrying load and a repeat lifting check using the intended contents. Examine the handle attachments and base after lifting, rather than judging strength from an empty basket. Consumer baskets sold in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use.

State whether the basket carries packaged groceries or directly touches loose food. A liner intended to touch unwrapped food is a food-contact material; ask the supplier to demonstrate suitability for that use. Keep unlined willow away from unwrapped food.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 2,000 hand-made willow shopping baskets under 4602 19 90 10, invoiced at £8,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,200. Duty at 2% is £184. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,384, so it is £1,876.80. Import taxes total £2,060.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £184 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Handles: lift loaded samples by each intended carrying arrangement; check for pulled bindings, cracking, loose pivots and uncomfortable grip edges.

Weave and finish: check rims, bases and handle joints for splinters, protruding cut ends, loose strands and colour transfer onto a damp cloth.

Moisture and pests: check moisture against the agreed packing limit, inspect for mould and musty smells, and investigate holes or powder dust before accepting stock.

Dimensions and nesting: measure usable internal space, fit the liner and check nested baskets separate without snagging or crushing handles. Use the approved sample for inspection.

What goes wrong

A basket can look sound when empty but fail when groceries pull on its handle joints. Tight nesting can distort rims or trap folding handles, while sharp willow ends snag clothing and liners. Check loaded samples and packed stacks before approving production.

Damp baskets can arrive mouldy, and lacquer can hide rough ends without making them smooth. Agree drying and packing methods, inspect before dispatch and repeat the moisture, handle and finish checks on arrival. Record affected cartons and keep suspect baskets separate while investigating.

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.