Sourcing wooden canvas floater frames from China
Wooden canvas floater frames from China carry 0% to 2% UK duty, depending on the timber. Confirm timber legality due-diligence requirements with the relevant authority or your customs broker before placing wooden frames on the Great Britain market. Check whether the timber is covered by CITES controls. Cambridge China Bridge sources wooden canvas floater frames.
Duty depends on the timber
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 4414 covers wooden frames for paintings, photographs, mirrors or similar objects. Wooden canvas floater frames of specified tropical wood carry 2% duty from China; other tropical wood and non-tropical wood carry 0%. The supplied tariff facts show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions.
The tariff attaches CITES import control. If the timber species and its listing bring the finished frame within CITES controls, a permit is required. Ask your customs broker to confirm the listing's coverage and the documents needed for the shipment from China. CITES export control and a cultural-goods export licence entry also appear in the tariff facts; confirm their relevance with your broker before any onward export.
Confirm the commodity code using the timber species and the finished frame description. Pine and other non-tropical frames share a code in the table. This guide concerns frames supplied without artwork; describe any canvas or painting supplied with them separately to your broker. See the wider wooden picture frames guide and the import duty and VAT guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine canvas floater frames | 4414 90 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Canvas floater frames of specified tropical wood | 4414 10 10 00 | 2% | None |
| Canvas floater frames of other tropical wood | 4414 10 90 00 | 0% | None |
Canvas clearance and the mounting ledge
A floater frame supports a stretched canvas from behind while leaving a visible gap around its edges. Specify the canvas's actual outside dimensions, stretcher depth, internal opening, surrounding gap, mounting ledge and position of the canvas face relative to the frame rim. Approve a cross-section drawing and a fitted sample rather than relying on the nominal artwork size.
State the timber species, whether the profile is solid wood or veneered, the corner joint construction, finish and supplied mounting fittings. Confirm with the relevant authority or your customs broker whether the wooden frames fall within the UK Timber Regulations and what species and harvest-country information, illegal-harvest risk assessment and mitigation are needed before placing them on the Great Britain market. Request the supporting timber documents before ordering.
Consumer frames sold in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Agree how the canvas attaches to the ledge and how the completed assembly hangs. Assess splinters, exposed screw tips and loose fittings, and test the assembled frame with the intended canvas. Include clear fitting instructions.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 4,000 small pine canvas floater frames, illustrative order under 4414 90 00 00, invoiced at £8,000 free on board, with £1,400 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,400, so it is £1,880. 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
Fit: measure the internal opening and ledge position, fit the intended stretched canvas, and check that the surrounding gap remains even without forcing the canvas into place.
Timber and corners: match the species declaration to the timber paperwork, measure moisture, check for twist on a flat surface, compare diagonals, and check mitred joints for gaps and movement.
Finish and fittings: compare visible and inner faces with the approved sample; check chips, glue marks, splinters, screw length, mounting access and hanger security on an assembled sample.
Packing and arrival: check protected corners and separated finished surfaces, inspect unpacked frames for rubbing and joint damage, and repeat the canvas fit check. Agree these checks in the inspection brief.
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What goes wrong
Nominal canvas sizes can hide variation in stretcher dimensions and folded fabric at the corners. A tight opening traps the canvas; an oversized opening leaves an uneven gap. A shallow ledge or misplaced fixing hole makes attachment awkward or leaves the canvas projecting beyond the agreed face position. Check the sample with the canvas you will actually use.
Moisture movement can twist the profile or open mitred joints after shipping. Dark finishes make chipped corners, glue marks and rubbing inside the gap conspicuous. Loose hangers or unsuitable screws can undermine the completed assembly. Retain the approved fitted sample and inspect the inner faces and fittings as carefully as the outer rim.
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 wooden canvas floater frames from China?
The supplied tariff facts show 0% duty for non-tropical and other tropical wood, or 2% for specified tropical wood. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty is listed.
What dimensions should I give a floater-frame factory?
Give the actual stretched canvas dimensions, stretcher depth, internal opening, surrounding gap, mounting ledge and face position. Approve a sample fitted with your canvas.
Do wooden canvas floater frames need timber legality checks?
Confirm with the relevant authority or your customs broker whether the wooden frames fall within the UK Timber Regulations and what timber information, illegal-harvest risk assessment and mitigation are needed by the operator first placing them on the Great Britain market.
Do canvas floater frames need glass?
A typical floater frame leaves the canvas face exposed. Specify whether glazing is included, and approve the complete assembly if your design adds it.