UK import changes: October 2026
The first issue. Chinese New Year falls on 6 February 2027, so this is the month to settle anything you need in the UK before March.
HMRC customs exchange rates
October 2026: £1 = US$1.3456 · €1.1665 · ¥9.0274
These are the rates your customs value is converted with this month.
Convert an invoice with this month's rates
Duty and rule changes
Steel: the October–December tariff-free quotas opened on 1 October. Under the steel measure that replaced the safeguard on 1 July, imports above the quota pay a 50% tariff. If you import steel goods from chapters 72–73, check the quota before you ship.
Source: UK Trade Tariff, 30 June 2026
Vapes: Vaping Products Duty started on 1 October 2026 at £2.20 per 10ml, and retail packs must carry a duty stamp. Importers need HMRC approval, and digital stamps are mandatory from 1 January 2027.
Source: GOV.UK, 1 October 2026
Aluminium, iron and steel, cement, fertiliser and hydrogen: the UK carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) starts on 1 January 2027. Importers of these goods worth £50,000 or more over 12 months must register with HMRC (registration opens by 1 January 2028), so keep records of these imports from January.
Source: GOV.UK (HMRC)
Parcels under £135: the government will remove the customs duty relief on goods under £135 by October 2028 at the latest, so these goods will also pay duty.
Source: GOV.UK, 23 June 2026
Chinese New Year
Factories start winding down around 30 January 2027. With 30 days of production, the last order that finishes before then is placed by 31 December 2026. To have goods in the UK before the holiday, order earlier: the planner works back from your arrival date.
UK imports from China
HMRC's figures for Q2 2026: UK imports from China were £16.19bn, up 13.0% on a year earlier.
See the categories that grew and fell
New and updated guides
- Shipping lead times and how to plan
- How much is import tax from China to the UK?
- Does packaging EPR apply to importers in the UK?
- How to avoid China sourcing scams
Monthly email
What changed for UK buyers from China, and when to act
One email at the start of each month. Every figure has an official source.