Importing electric blankets from China to Europe is so popular that some factories work around the clock to keep up with orders. In January 2022, almost 190.000 electric blankets were exported from China to the European Union. In July, imports reached nearly 1.3 million pieces. In the same month, the UK imported more than 500.000 electric blankets. In 2021 alone, China exported 26 million pieces.
How to find electric blankets supplier in China?
A popular way to find a supplier in China is to use online shopping B2B platforms. A huge selection of Chinese suppliers is on the following portals:
- Alibaba
- Made-in-China
- Global-Sources
- TradeKey
- and others.
There is a huge demand for electric blankets right now. In case of such import hits, we always advise importers to be extra careful when choosing a supplier. It’s not uncommon to come across scammers on major B2B platforms. They want to make use of the market demand, so they pretend to be factories and offer attractive prices. In the end, they send faulty goods or do not make delivery at all.
To avoid such traps, you always need to verify your potential partner and find out who you are dealing with. Only then will you be sure you are talking to a genuine electric blankets seller, a manufacturer, or an intermediary. We advise against sending money to a Chinese company before confirming its credibility.
Where are electric blankets in China produced?
Most factories that produce a particular product are concentrated in a specific city. Xinle in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, is China’s major electric blanket manufacturing area. It makes 40% of China’s electric blankets, and its annual production reaches 16 million.
Other electric blanket manufacturing areas in China:
- Changzhou, Nanjing (Jiangsu)
- Shanghai
- Shaoxing, Hangzhou, Ningbo (Zhejiang)
- Qingdao, Weihai (Shandong)
- Shenzhen (Guangdong).
Electric blankets sourced from China to the EU
What is the customs duty for electric blankets from China to the EU?
Importers should check the custom rate on the imported product beforehand. The customs rates are the same in the whole European Union. Tariffs on products sourced into the EU can be found in the TARIC system.
Electric blankets in the tariff system are in Section IX, Textiles and textile articles, under chapter 63 I – Other made-up textile articles. The customs code for electric blankets is 6301100000. The duty on electric blankets from China is 6.9%. For comparison, the customs rate for knitted cotton blankets (6301301000) is 12%.
What are the requirements in the EU?
Importers must carefully read the legal acts concerning their product in the target market. Product compliance is especially important if the product is sourced from China. Previously, there was no huge demand for Chinese electric blankets in the European Union. Therefore, relatively few products from Chinese factories meet the product requirements.
What is important when importing electric blankets?
- Safety instructions in the official language of the target market with technical data (power supply, heat output, run time, temperature settings, size, weight, cord length).
- WEEE symbol.
- CE mark and Declaration on Conformity with EMC and RoHS directive standards.
- Laundry symbols (such as do not use chlorine, do not iron, do not dry-clean, do not spin-dry, hand wash).
Importing electric blankets from China to the UK
Electric blankets in the UK are an extremely popular product.
Since the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland left the European Union, it now has different import and export rules. The tariff system is not TARIC but UK Integrated Tariff.
The customs code for electric blankets in the UK is 6301100000. The customs duty on electric blankets imported from China into the UK is 6%, which is less than the EU customs duty.
- An electric blanket sold in the UK does not need to bear the CE mark. The standard is the UKCA mark. Voluntary certifications are BEAB (certified by Intertek) and KEMA-KEUR (certified by DEKRA).
- Do not forget to provide an instruction manual with the electric blanket with technical data and laundry symbols.
Things to remember when sourcing electric blankets from China
Factories flooded with orders for electric blankets are increasing their production capacity and working 24/7 to deliver them on time. So, it is crucial to carry out quality control in the Chinese factory to make sure that everything goes according to plan and that there are no manufacturing errors.
You should check compliance with the placed order, quantity of goods, quality, as well as the loading process. Our inspector in China can conduct an on-site inspection at various stages of production. You will receive the full report with photo documentation. In that way, you can make sure that the goods comply with the requirements specified in the order and are ready for shipment.
Importing electric blankets from China to Europe – to sum up
- Electric blankets in China are produced mainly in the eastern part of the country.
- The EU customs duty rate on an electric blanket from China is 6.9%. WEEE and CE marks are required in the EU market.
- The customs rate on electric blankets in the United Kingdom is 6%. The standard UK mark is UKCA. Safety standard marks such as BEAB and KEMA-KEUR are not mandatory.
- Protect yourself from unreliable business partners from China by ordering a supplier report.