Sourcing wine glasses from China
Wine glasses from China carry 10% UK duty across the selected stemmed and stemless lines, with no listed anti-dumping duty. Glasses must be safe and suitable for contact with wine. Specify the glass composition, rim finish, bowl capacity and protective packing. Cambridge China Bridge sources wine glasses.
UK duty on wine glasses
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, the selected wine-glass lines under heading 7013 carried 10% duty on goods from China. The range is therefore a flat 10%, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The heading covers table, kitchen and other household glassware; our glass candle jars and lids guide covers another product family within it.
The tariff attaches cat and dog fur import and export controls and a cultural-goods export licence control. Importing or exporting cat or dog fur, including products made from it, is banned. Avoid such decorative additions. For the attached cultural-goods export control, ask your customs broker to confirm whether any requirement applies to your goods and intended movement.
Confirm the commodity code from whether the glass has a stem, its composition, manufacturing method and decoration. Do not classify a stemless wine glass as stemware merely because it is sold for wine.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand-gathered lead crystal wine glasses with stems | 7013 22 10 00 | 10% | None |
| Mechanically gathered lead crystal wine glasses with stems | 7013 22 90 00 | 10% | None |
| Hand-gathered wine glasses with stems, other than lead crystal | 7013 28 10 00 | 10% | None |
| Mechanically gathered wine glasses with stems, other than lead crystal | 7013 28 90 00 | 10% | None |
| Mechanically gathered plain stemless wine glasses, not lead crystal or toughened | 7013 37 99 00 | 10% | None |
Specify the bowl, rim and stem
Write down glass composition, bowl shape, brim capacity, intended serving capacity, height, rim diameter, stem thickness and foot diameter. Distinguish lead crystal from other glass and record whether manufacture is by hand or mechanically gathered. Keep an approved sample and agree acceptable variation in shape, weight, colour and visible bubbles.
Wine glasses must be safe and suitable for their food-contact use. Ask a laboratory to assess the actual glass composition and any coloured coating, printed decoration or metallic rim for contact with wine and the mouth. Request reports identifying the supplied design and materials through testing and certification. Agree washing instructions and test any dishwasher claim on decorated production samples.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 500 wine glasses with stems, illustrative order under 7013 28 90 00, invoiced at £2,400 free on board, with £500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,900. Duty at 10% is £290. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,190, so it is £638. Import taxes total £928; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £290 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Rim and bowl: check for chips, cracks, sharp edges, embedded particles and distortion; compare capacity and dimensions with the approved sample.
Stem and foot: check stem alignment, joins and foot flatness; place samples on a flat surface to identify rocking.
Decoration and evidence: compare colour and artwork position, check adhesion after the agreed washing test, and match food-contact reports to the supplied glass and finish.
Packing and arrival: open packed cartons, check separators protect rims and stems, and record breakage by carton before moving stock. Use quality inspection to check production against the agreed sample before shipment.
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What goes wrong
Thin rims chip, stems break at their joins and uneven feet rock on the table. Bowl shapes and glass colour can vary across a batch. Decoration may wear during washing, while a report for an undecorated glass does not establish the suitability of a different coating or metallic rim.
Loose dividers allow glasses to collide during transport. Approve the complete packing arrangement with production samples, then check delivered cartons before distributing stock. Consumer-product importers are responsible for safety and compliance with legal labelling requirements; appearance alone is not evidence of safety.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on wine glasses from China?
The selected stemmed and stemless wine-glass lines carry 10% duty, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension, in the supplied tariff reading.
What food-contact checks should I request for wine glasses?
Ask a laboratory to assess the supplied glass composition and decoration for contact with wine and the mouth. Match reports to the actual design and finish rather than accepting a generic factory report.
Are stemless wine glasses classified as stemware?
Choose the code from the physical glass, composition, manufacturing method and decoration. The selected plain, mechanically gathered stemless line is 7013 37 99 00.
How do I reduce breakage when importing wine glasses?
Approve separators and inner packing that protect rims, stems and feet. Inspect packed production cartons before shipment and record damage when the delivery arrives.