The United Kingdom will keep more than 250 products free of import duty until December 2028 instead of 31 December 2026.<\/p>\n
The UK government said on 23 October 2026 that tariff-free imports of more than 250 goods, due to end on 31 December, will continue until December 20281<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The announcement came from HM Treasury, the UK finance ministry, together with the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Business Secretary1<\/a><\/sup>. It also gives a second group of suspensions six more months, to December 20271<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n In short, goods that enter the UK free of import duty today will stay duty-free after New Year. Importers of these goods will not see a tariff return on 1 January 2027.<\/p>\n A duty suspension removes or reduces the import duty on named goods for a set period2<\/a><\/sup>. These goods are normally used in production, such as materials and parts for UK factories2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The government said more than 250 products<\/strong> will keep their suspensions1<\/a><\/sup>. These suspensions were due to expire on 31 December and will now run until December 2028<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The extension follows a public consultation1<\/a><\/sup>. All suspensions in that consultation are being extended, except those that "no longer have a material effect"1<\/a><\/sup>. In plain words, the government is dropping only the suspensions that make little real difference to costs.<\/p>\n The Department for Business and Trade guidance on duty suspensions explains which goods were in the review. Suspensions granted after the 2021 and 2023 application rounds were due to expire on 31 December 2026<\/strong>2<\/a><\/sup>. The government had been considering whether to extend them to 31 December 20282<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n A single suspension on sunflower-seed oil<\/strong> was also due to end on 31 December 20262<\/a><\/sup>. The government put it in place on 1 January 2023 because of supply chain problems2<\/a><\/sup>. The guidance said the government was considering an extension to 31 December 20282<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The government’s guidance pack sets out the review process and the tests each suspension must meet2<\/a><\/sup>. The full list of current suspensions and their end dates is in the Tariff Suspension Reference Document2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The government puts the value of the extensions at up to \u00a3155 million a year<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>. This is the import duty that businesses would otherwise pay on these goods.<\/p>\n The savings are spread across many industries1<\/a><\/sup>. The press release names these sectors:<\/p>\n The tariff savings are part of a wider package worth almost \u00a3800 million a year in paperwork and tariff costs1<\/a><\/sup>. Other parts of that package cover company reporting and small-business paperwork, not trade in goods1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The government presented the extension as a way to cut costs for businesses1<\/a><\/sup>. Chancellor John Healey said the government wants to give businesses "the breathing space they need to invest, innovate and create good jobs"1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The guidance gives the general purpose of suspensions. They are meant to help UK businesses, and those in Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Jersey, stay competitive in the world market2<\/a><\/sup>. They do this by removing or reducing duties on goods used to make other products2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The release said the extensions keep import costs low for businesses across many sectors1<\/a><\/sup>. For a factory that imports a chemical or a part, the main effect is that its landed cost does not jump in January.<\/p>\n A duty suspension lets an importer bring in unlimited quantities<\/strong> of the goods at the reduced rate2<\/a><\/sup>. This is different from an autonomous tariff quota, a limited amount of goods allowed in at a lower rate2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Any importer in the UK or the Crown Dependencies can use a suspension while it is in force2<\/a><\/sup>. Some suspensions carry conditions that a shipment must meet2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Importers find the suspension for their goods with the Trade Tariff lookup tool2<\/a><\/sup>. They check the commodity code, the number that classifies goods in the tariff, against the listed suspensions. Customs brokers who file entries in January 2027 will keep claiming the same reduced rate. Makers abroad who sell these goods to UK factories keep their price advantage over the full tariff.<\/p>\n The suspensions apply on a "most favoured nation" basis2<\/a><\/sup>. This means the goods can come from any country or territory<\/strong> at the reduced rate2<\/a><\/sup>. A shipment from China and one from Brazil get the same treatment.<\/p>\n A suspension removes only the normal import tariff. It does not remove VAT (value added tax)<\/strong>, the UK sales tax charged on imports2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n It also does not remove trade remedy duties2<\/a><\/sup>. These include anti-dumping duty, an extra import tax on goods sold abroad below their normal price2<\/a><\/sup>. Goods covered by such a duty still pay it, even when the normal tariff is suspended.<\/p>\n Goods entering Northern Ireland need extra care. The guidance points importers to separate rules on declaring goods "not at risk" of moving on to the European Union2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n A second group of suspensions came from the 2024 application round2<\/a><\/sup>. They are in force until 30 June 2027<\/strong>2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The government will now extend these suspensions by six months, to December 2027<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>. The release says this gives businesses continuity while a formal review of a longer extension takes place1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n So these goods stay duty-free for the rest of 2027. Whether they stay duty-free after that depends on the new review.<\/p>\n The 250-product extension sits alongside several other groups of suspensions. The guidance lists them2<\/a><\/sup>:<\/p>\nWhat is changing for the 250 products?<\/h2>\n
Which suspensions were due to end in 2026?<\/h2>\n
How much will businesses save?<\/h2>\n
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Why did the government act?<\/h2>\n
How do the suspensions work at the border?<\/h2>\n
What does the suspension not cover?<\/h2>\n
Charges still paid on suspended goods<\/h4>\n
What happens to the suspensions ending in June 2027?<\/h2>\n
How does this fit with other UK suspensions?<\/h2>\n
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When UK tariff suspensions now end<\/h4>\n