Market guide · United Kingdom

Sourcing from India and China for UK brands.

For UK brands, India became the zero-duty lane on 15 July 2026, when the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) entered into force. Chinese goods still pay the UK Global Tariff, and Vietnam has its own preferences through the UK–Vietnam FTA and CPTPP.

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15 Jul 2026: India–UK CETA in force
~99%: of tariff lines at zero for Indian goods
12%: top UK clothing duty removed for India

Duty snapshot · checked 28 September 2026 Goods into United Kingdom

INIndia 0% on ~99% of lines (CETA) In force
CNChina UK Global Tariff (MFN) No agreement
VNVietnam UKVFTA and CPTPP rates In force

Full duty picture and sources ↓

The short answer

What UK buyers need to know.

As of 28 September 2026. Checked against official sources.

01
India–UK CETA entered into force on 15 July 2026. The Government of India reports zero UK duty on about 99% of tariff lines, covering nearly all of India’s exports by value, including clothing (up to 12% before), footwear and leather (up to 16%) and engineering goods.
02
To claim it, your Indian supplier provides an origin declaration or certificate of origin, and the goods must meet CETA product-specific rules of origin.
03
Chinese goods pay the UK Global Tariff: there is no FTA, and China is not a DCTS beneficiary. Vietnam uses the UK–Vietnam FTA or CPTPP, which the UK joined on 15 December 2024.

1 · Duty picture

What you pay at the border.

As of 28 September 2026. Every rate depends on the product’s HS code, so treat this as the map and check your own codes before you order.

How duty works in United Kingdom

UK duty follows the UK Global Tariff for the commodity code, charged on a CIF-type customs value (freight and insurance to the UK count), then 20% import VAT on the duty-inclusive value for standard-rated goods.
Proof of origin is what unlocks a preference. Without it, the full UK Global Tariff rate applies even to Indian or Vietnamese goods.
Some Chinese product lines carry UK trade-remedy duties, and steel faces quota arrangements. Check the commodity code on the UK Integrated Online Tariff before quoting.

From India

0% on ~99% of lines

In force
India–UK CETA in force since 15 July 2026. UK tariffs removed on textiles and clothing, leather and footwear, engineering goods and auto components, chemicals, marine and processed food products (Government of India summary).
In force
Claim with an origin declaration or a certificate of origin; the importer’s-knowledge route has limited use. Product-specific rules of origin apply.
In force
India remains in the UK DCTS Standard Preferences tier, which still matters for any line where CETA staging has not reached zero.

From China

UK Global Tariff

No agreement
No UK–China free trade agreement and no DCTS eligibility, so MFN rates apply.
In force
Trade-remedy duties apply to specific Chinese products; check the tariff by commodity code.

From Vietnam

UKVFTA and CPTPP

In force
The UK–Vietnam FTA has applied since 1 January 2021, and Vietnam left the DCTS in January 2023.
In force
CPTPP has applied to the UK since 15 December 2024. Importers can use whichever agreement gives the better rate and whose origin rules the goods meet.

Agreements and measures that apply

India–UK CETAUK and India

In forceSince 15 Jul 2026

Zero duty on about 99% of UK tariff lines for Indian goods; origin declaration or certificate of origin.
UK DCTSUK → developing countries

In forceSince 2023

India in Standard Preferences; Vietnam left in January 2023; China not eligible.
UK–Vietnam FTAUK and Vietnam

In forceSince 1 Jan 2021

Staged tariff elimination; rules of origin apply.
CPTPPUK, Vietnam and others

In forceUK since 15 Dec 2024

An alternative preference route for Vietnamese goods.

Model it for your product: Find the HS code Compare landed cost

2 · Product compliance

The rules your product has to meet.

Great Britain has its own product rules since Brexit, while Northern Ireland follows EU product law.

Safety

GB product safety (GPSR 2005)

The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 still apply in Great Britain; Northern Ireland follows the EU GPSR. Importers must put their name and UK address on the product, packaging or accompanying documents.

Marking

UKCA or CE

The UK continues to recognise CE marking for most goods placed on the GB market, alongside UKCA. Keep a UK declaration of conformity or the EU one, and technical files your supplier can produce on request.

PPE

PPE Regulation 2016/425 (as it applies in GB)

Gloves, eyewear, helmets and safety footwear need the right category conformity assessment and a declaration of conformity before sale.

Chemicals

UK REACH

UK REACH runs separately from EU REACH. SVHC communication and restrictions work in a similar way; registration duties sit with the GB importer.

REACH guide

Packaging

Packaging EPR

UK producers above the thresholds register, report packaging data and pay waste disposal fees under the UK’s extended producer responsibility for packaging.

Origin

CETA origin evidence

Claiming zero duty needs supplier origin evidence you can defend in an HMRC check: bills of materials, input origins and process records.

FTA duty-saver audit

3 · Getting goods there

Sea lanes, transit times and Incoterms.

Indicative port-to-port planning ranges, not a carrier schedule. Transhipment, blank sailings and routing change them; confirm with the carrier at booking.

Nhava Sheva / MundraFelixstowe / London Gateway

20–28days

Via Suez; 32–40 via the Cape
ChennaiFelixstowe / Southampton

28–40days

Often transhipped at Colombo
Ningbo / ShanghaiFelixstowe / Southampton

30–38days

Via Suez; 40–50 via the Cape

Routing in September 2026: carriers were returning Asia–Europe services to the Suez Canal gradually, service by service; sailings via the Cape of Good Hope take roughly 10 to 14 days longer.

Incoterms norms

FOB (named port) for full containers and FCA for LCL are the UK norms; avoid EXW in India, where the Indian exporter must clear the goods for export.
Import on your own EORI number. For CETA claims, agree in the purchase order that the supplier provides a valid origin declaration with each shipment.
UK customs value includes freight and insurance to the UK, so compare India and China on a CIF-level landed cost.

Pick a term with the Incoterms advisor

4 · India or China

Which country suits which product.

With CETA in force, many categories that used to be a close call now favour India on landed cost. We run the comparison per commodity code.

Strong from India

About sourcing from India

Apparel, knitwear and home textilesClothing duty of up to 12% has gone for Indian goods under CETA, a real edge against China for cotton garments, towels and bedding.
Footwear and leather goodsDuties of up to 16% removed; Indian leather clusters have long export records for UK retail.
Castings, machined parts and auto componentsEngineering goods now enter duty-free, with strong foundry and machining clusters.
Home décor, ceramics and furnitureSpecialist clusters for metal, wood, glass and stone, now duty-free for most lines.

Strong from China

About sourcing from China

Consumer electronics and chargersComponent depth and certification experience for UKCA and CE.
Plastics, toys and household goodsTooling speed and cost for moulded products, priced with UK Global Tariff rates.
Lighting and small appliancesMature suppliers with test reports your UK importer can file.

Running both? Plan a China + 1 second source

5 · How SourceSquid helps

From duty map to landed container.

Our teams in Bengaluru and Ningbo find, audit and inspect factories for UK brands buying from India and China, and collect the evidence your market asks for.

USD 390 · named factories

Supplier shortlist

Named manufacturers in India and China, checked by calls, matched to UK requirements.

Free tool

Landed cost calculator

Factory price, freight, duty and taxes side by side, so you compare lanes, not quotes.

Free tool

HS code finder

Find the likely HS code first; every duty rate on this page depends on it.

USD 490 per supplier

FTA duty-saver audit

Rules of origin checked at the factory, up to 5 HS lines, so your zero-duty claim is defensible.

From USD 229 per person-day

Inspections and audits

In-line, pre-shipment and loading inspections by our own team in India and China.

Compliance

UK and EU chemicals

The UK rules above turned into a supplier evidence list, collected at the factory.

Sources

Where these facts come from

Checked on 28 September 2026 and refreshed monthly. Official government, customs and EU sources first; commentary is named as such. This page explains the rules in plain English. For a view on your own products, ask our team or your customs broker.

United Kingdom buyer questions

Straight answers.

Checked on 28 September 2026. We update this guide when duties or rules move.

anirudh@sourcesquid.co

Is the India–UK trade agreement in force?

Yes. The India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) entered into force on 15 July 2026. According to the Government of India, UK tariffs are zero on about 99% of tariff lines for Indian-origin goods.

How do I claim zero duty on Indian goods in the UK?

Import with valid proof of origin under CETA, either an origin declaration from the exporter or a certificate of origin, and make sure the goods meet the product-specific rule of origin for their commodity code. Without it, the UK Global Tariff rate applies.

What duty do Chinese goods pay in the UK?

The UK Global Tariff (MFN) rate for the commodity code, plus 20% import VAT for standard-rated goods. There is no UK–China free trade agreement, China is not in the DCTS, and some products carry additional trade-remedy duties.

Do I need UKCA marking for products sold in Great Britain?

For most goods the UK continues to recognise CE marking, so either UKCA or CE is accepted. The importer’s name and UK address must also appear on the product, its packaging or accompanying documents.

How long does sea freight take from India to the UK?

As a planning range, Nhava Sheva or Mundra to Felixstowe or London Gateway takes about 20 to 28 days via Suez, and 32 to 40 via the Cape of Good Hope. Confirm the carrier’s current routing, which was changing in September 2026.

Other market guides

Selling in more than one market?

DE · EuropeGermanyEU duty applies, GSP for India is suspended on most industrial goods, and the VerpackDG replaced the VerpackG on 12 August 2026.NL · EuropeNetherlandsRotterdam is Europe’s main Asia gateway; Dutch EPR covers packaging and textiles, on top of EU product law.US · North AmericaUnited StatesIndia pays MFN plus 10% under Section 301; China and Vietnam pay MFN plus 12.5%, and China keeps its older 301 lists.

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