Sourcing wooden and bamboo kitchenware from China
Wooden and bamboo tableware and kitchenware from China, including chopping boards, chopsticks, bowls and spoons, pays 0% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. They must meet food contact rules for wood, finishes and glues. Tableware of bamboo fibre bound with melamine is a plastic product, not wood, and the Food Standards Agency says it is not authorised. Cambridge China Bridge sources it.
Chopping boards, chopsticks, bamboo and wooden tableware and kitchen utensils pay 0% UK duty from China. Food contact and bamboo composites explained.
Zero duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, bamboo bread and chopping boards, chopsticks and other bamboo tableware, tropical wood and other wood tableware and kitchenware carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Plastic-bound bamboo fibre products are classified as plastics; confirm the commodity code from the material.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bamboo bread and chopping boards | 4419 11 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Bamboo chopsticks | 4419 12 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Other bamboo tableware and kitchenware | 4419 19 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Tableware of other tropical wood | 4419 20 90 00 | 0% | None |
| Other wooden tableware and kitchenware | 4419 90 00 00 | 0% | None |
Food contact
Wood and bamboo that touch food must not transfer substances in harmful amounts under the retained food contact framework. Oils, lacquers and glues are where problems arise, so ask for the finish and adhesive specifications and a migration test on samples; see food contact materials.
Bamboo and melamine
Cups, plates and bowls made of bamboo fibre in melamine resin look like bamboo but are plastic. The Food Standards Agency has said bamboo and similar plant fibres are not authorised additives in plastic food contact materials, so such composites should not be sold. Buy solid bamboo or wood instead.
Moisture and inspection
Mould in transit is the common failure. Specify moisture content, food-safe mould treatment and desiccant, and at inspection check for cracks, splinters and mould.
Cambridge China Bridge sources wooden and bamboo kitchenware, with finishes, food contact and moisture control settled before the order. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on bamboo chopping boards from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, bamboo and wooden tableware and kitchenware of heading 4419 carried 0% duty from China.
Can I sell bamboo-melamine cups?
The Food Standards Agency says bamboo and similar fibres are not authorised in plastic food contact materials, so these composites should not be sold.
Do wooden utensils need food contact testing?
Yes, especially their oils, lacquers and glues; ask for migration tests.
How do I stop mould in transit?
Control moisture content, use desiccants and a food-safe treatment, and inspect before shipment.