WITHIN · DUTY CALCULATOR · Rules read 20 October 2026
Import duty from China to the UK on clothes, shoes and bags
An order of £135 or less from China pays no UK duty: the seller adds 20 per cent VAT at checkout. Above £135 a piece made in China pays the full UK rate, 12 per cent on most clothes and 2 on a leather bag, then 20 per cent VAT on the price, postage and duty.
Type the price and what it is. The page works out the UK duty, the VAT and Royal Mail's or Parcelforce's fee from the rules in force today. It covers Great Britain.
Rules read on 20 October 2026 from the official sources listed at the end.
- £135 or less: no duty, 20% VAT at checkout
- Above £135: the full UK rate, then 20% VAT
- Most clothes: 12% duty
- Leather handbag: 2% duty
- Rules read: 20 October 2026
A £300 polyester jacket made in China
Sent from China by Royal Mail with no shipping cost added, it costs £411.20 at the door, £111.20 more than its price.
| Price | £300 |
|---|---|
| Duty: 12% (commodity code 6202409091) | £36 |
| Import VAT: 20% of £336 | £67.20 |
| Royal Mail customs handling fee: Charged when duty or tax is owed | £8 |
| At the door, 37.1% more than the price | £411.20 |
What each kind pays, made in China
The UK duty on each kind of piece. The last column adds up the duty, tariffs and tax on a £500 piece, before fees.
| What it is | Duty | Duty and tax on £500 |
|---|---|---|
| Coat, wool or cashmere | 12% | £172 |
| Down jacket or puffer, nylon outside | 12% | £172 |
| Jacket or windbreaker, nylon or polyester | 12% | £172 |
| Trousers or jeans, cotton | 12% | £172 |
| T-shirt, cotton | 12% | £172 |
| Sweater, hoodie or sweatshirt, cotton | 12% | £172 |
| Sweater, all cashmere | 12% | £172 |
| Dress, silk | 12% | £172 |
| Sneakers, leather outside | 6% | £136 |
| Sneakers, fabric or knit outside | 16% | £196 |
| Boots, leather, over the ankle | 4% | £124 |
| Handbag or tote, leather outside | 2% | £112 |
| Jewellery, silver | 2% | £112 |
Women's and unisex lines. The men's line differs for leather sneakers and leather boots; the calculator above works out either.
Sources: HM Revenue & Customs (trade-tariff.service.gov.uk), read 20 October 2026 and GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 20 October 2026.
Made in China, worked out on real pieces
Pieces on the shelves of within's boutiques in Canada that ship to the UK, each with about what it costs to have it sent there.
Walk in ParisTwisted Cable Knit Polo - Black£77Made in China. About £156 delivered, £26 of it VAT.
WOOD WOODUpton Knit Polo - Brown£83Made in China. About £163 delivered, £27 of it VAT.
RTABryant RLD Artistic Skinny Jeans - Blue£149Made in China. About £279 delivered, £77 of it duty, VAT and fees.
Moose KnucklesWomens Down Jacket Lorimer Puffer - Black£532Made in China. About £794 delivered, £209 of it duty, VAT and fees.
RTAClayton Distressed Skinny Jeans - Blue£125Made in China. About £213 delivered, £36 of it VAT.
Moose KnucklesWomens Down Bomber Debbie - Rose Smoke/Black£349Made in China. About £548 delivered, £146 of it duty, VAT and fees.
Each sum is the calculator's: the price at the Bank of Canada rate of 19 October 2026, the shop's own shipping, then the duty, tariffs and fees for a parcel sent from Canada by Royal Mail. Up to £135 it counts the VAT the seller adds at checkout.
The rules this page uses
Goods worth £135 or less pay no duty, and the seller charges the VAT at checkout instead of the carrier at the door.
Source: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 20 October 2026.
Above £135 the UK charges duty on the price plus postage, packaging and insurance.
Source: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 20 October 2026.
VAT is charged on the goods, the postage and insurance, and the duty.
Source: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 20 October 2026.
The UK plans to end the £135 duty relief: HMRC said on 23 June 2026 that goods of £135 or less will pay customs duty, and its policy paper of 13 July 2026 sets October 2028 as the latest date. The Treasury will name the day.
Source: GOV.UK (gov.uk, 2 pages), read 20 October 2026.
What this calculator does not cover
- Northern Ireland, where EU rules apply to some parcels.
- Gifts between people, alcohol, tobacco and other excise goods.
- Pieces made in the UK and sent back.
- DHL, UPS and FedEx fees.
- Anti-dumping duties and quotas.
- The Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which lets many goods made in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Pakistan in at 0 per cent with proof of origin.
By where it was made
Across other borders
The calculator
Common questions
How much is import duty from China to the UK?
Nothing on an order of £135 or less, where the seller adds 20 per cent VAT at checkout. Above £135, the full UK rate: 12 per cent on most clothes, 16 on fabric sneakers and 2 on a leather handbag, then 20 per cent VAT.
Sources: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 20 October 2026 and HM Revenue & Customs (trade-tariff.service.gov.uk), read 20 October 2026.
Does the UK have a trade deal with China?
No. Goods made in China pay the UK's full rates, and China is not in the scheme that lowers duty for developing countries.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs (trade-tariff.service.gov.uk), read 20 October 2026.
Will orders under £135 pay duty in future?
Yes: HMRC said on 23 June 2026 that goods of £135 or less will pay customs duty, from a day the Treasury sets, October 2028 at the latest.
Source: GOV.UK (gov.uk, 2 pages), read 20 October 2026.
Sources
- HM Revenue & Customs: UK Integrated Online Tariff: the third country duty and each trade deal's rate for each commodity code. trade-tariff.service.gov.uk, read 20 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: Tax and customs for goods sent from abroad: VAT at checkout up to £135, no duty up to £135, duty and VAT on goods plus postage and insurance above £135. gov.uk, read 20 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: Proving originating status: goods under £1,000 can be imported without a formal proof of origin; goods must also meet the non-alteration rule. gov.uk, read 10 October 2026.
- Royal Mail: Pay a fee: a customs handling fee of £8 on Royal Mail items and £12 on Parcelforce items; above £900 a full declaration and a £25 fee, whichever service was used. royalmail.com, read 20 October 2026.
- U.S. International Trade Commission: HTS chapter 99, 2026 Revision 21: U.S. note 20 (the China lists, headings 9903.88.01 to 9903.88.16), U.S. note 52 (headings 9903.05.20 to 9903.06.21), U.S. note 51 (headings 9903.03.12 to 9903.03.16) and U.S. note 50 (heading 9903.05.01). hts.usitc.gov, read 20 October 2026.
- Canada Border Services Agency: Memorandum D11-4-13: personal goods bought in a free trade partner and marked as made there (or in Canada) get the free trade rate, with no certificate. cbsa-asfc.gc.ca, read 20 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: HMRC news, 23 June 2026: goods valued at £135 or less will pay customs duty from October 2028. gov.uk, read 20 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: HMRC policy paper of 13 July 2026: customs duty on goods of £135 or less from a day the Treasury sets by regulations, October 2028 at the latest. gov.uk, read 20 October 2026.
- Bank of Canada (read through within's daily rate): Daily exchange rates, used here to turn the price into the currency of the country it ships to. bankofcanada.ca, read 10 October 2026.