Sourcing wooden pallet collars from China

Duty on wooden pallet collars

Heading 4415 covers wooden transport packaging, including pallet collars. Collars fall under 4415 20 20 00, alongside flat pallets. The table shows collar variants within that same tariff line, rather than separate classifications. See the wooden pallets and crates guide for the wider heading.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, wooden pallet collars from China carried 0% duty. The supplied record shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for this line. Its control entry is a cultural-property export licence entry; ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance if you later export the collars.

Confirm the commodity code using the finished collar's material, construction and packing function. Solid-wood packaging imported into Great Britain must meet ISPM 15 even when supplied empty to businesses. Ask the Office for Product Safety and Standards to confirm timber legality due diligence requirements for collars imported as products and whether packaging used only to carry other goods is outside the timber regulation's scope.

Specify pallet fit, boards and hinges

Specify the pallet footprint, clear internal opening, erected height, board thickness and folded dimensions. Send the factory a drawing of the pallet interface and hinge arrangement. State timber species, acceptable knots and splits, moisture acceptance criteria, hinge finish, fastener details and the intended stacking arrangement.

Approve a sample on your actual pallet, with any lid or liner fitted. Check that the hinge extensions locate securely and stacked collars sit without rocking. Agree a loaded handling test representing your intended use rather than accepting a general strength claim.

For solid-wood collars entering Great Britain, specify debarked timber, compliant treatment and a legible ISPM 15 mark. A certificate cannot replace the mark. Obtain species, harvest origin and supporting legality records for your timber due diligence before ordering.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2,000 heat-treated wooden pallet collars; illustrative FOB value and freight under 4415 20 20 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £21,500, so it is £4,300. 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 opening, height, board thickness and folded bundle against the drawing; erect and stack samples on the intended pallet.

Hinges: fold and unfold samples; check alignment, locating extensions, loose rivets or screws, sharp edges and the agreed corrosion protection.

Timber: check moisture against the agreed limit and inspect for mould, warping, splits, splinters and knots around fasteners on arrival.

Marks and records: check legible treatment marks and compare the delivered timber and batch identification with the agreed species, legality file and supplier treatment records.

What goes wrong

A collar can match the nominal pallet footprint but have an opening that catches the load or hinge extensions that do not locate on the pallet. Misaligned hinges prevent flat folding, while thin boards and weak fastener positions loosen during handling. Test the assembled system at inspection, including the pallet, collars and lid.

Wet boards can shrink, twist or grow mould during transport. A treatment document does not compensate for a missing mark: certification cannot replace the ISPM 15 mark on imported wood packaging. Keep arrival photographs and batch records so the supplier can identify the affected production.

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.