Tableware and kitchenware

CN subheading 691110 covers tableware and kitchenware made of porcelain: plates, cups, mugs, saucers, salad bowls, serving dishes, tureens, sauce boats, sugar bowls, jugs, teapots and other articles intended for serving or consuming food and beverages. The key classification criterion distinguishing subheading 691110 from subheading 691190 is the functional purpose: tableware and kitchenware serve to prepare, serve or consume food and drinks, while purely decorative porcelain articles are classified in subheading 691190. Porcelain serving bowls and vases used both at table and for decoration may give rise to classification doubts - the principal intended use of the article is decisive. Porcelain within the meaning of the Combined Nomenclature is fully vitrified ceramics with water absorption below 0.5%, typically white or ivory, produced from kaolin, feldspar and quartz. Tableware of stoneware or earthenware, regardless of appearance, cannot be classified under this subheading - heading 6912 applies to non-porcelain ceramic tableware. Importers should hold manufacturer documentation confirming that the article is made of porcelain and not another type of ceramic. Classification follows GRI rules 1 and 6 and the notes to Chapter 69. In case of doubt, Binding Tariff Information (BTI) ruling is recommended.

Imports of porcelain tableware under subheading 691110 into the European Union must comply with the Union Customs Code (Regulation (EU) No 952/2013). The importer must hold an EORI number and submit an electronic customs declaration. Required documents include a commercial invoice with the product description and material (porcelain), a transport document (CMR, B/L or AWB) and technical specification. Articles intended for contact with food are subject to Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 on food contact materials. Specific limits for the migration of lead and cadmium from ceramic tableware into food are set by Directive 84/500/EEC as amended by Regulation (EU) 2021/1965 - importers must ensure that articles comply with migration limits confirmed by laboratory testing. The GPSR, Regulation (EU) 2023/988, applicable from 13 December 2024, requires importers to carry out a product risk assessment, maintain technical documentation and designate a responsible person in the EU. REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 applies to SVHC substances in pigments and glazes. Current duty rates and trade measures must be verified in the TARIC database before each import transaction.

MFN duty rates for porcelain tableware under subheading 691110 must be verified in the current EU TARIC database. Preferential duty rates may be available under EU FTA agreements, including the EU-Japan EPA, the EU-Korea FTA, EVFTA with Vietnam and CETA with Canada, as well as under the GSP, subject to compliance with rules of origin and presentation of a valid EUR.1 or REX proof of origin. Regarding anti-dumping duties: the European Union applies anti-dumping duties on ceramic tableware and kitchenware from China classified under heading 6912, which covers non-porcelain ceramics such as stoneware and earthenware. Subheading 691110, covering porcelain tableware, has a separate tariff classification - importers must verify in TARIC the current status of anti-dumping and countervailing measures for the precise CN code 6911 10 and country of origin. Correct documentation confirming that the article is porcelain and not another type of ceramic directly determines the scope of applicable trade defence measures. Imports from Russia and Belarus may be subject to EU sanctions. VAT applies to imports according to the applicable national rate. All duty rates and trade measures must be verified in TARIC.

Porcelain tableware and kitchenware under CN 6911 10 carries a 12% EU duty. Covers plates, cups, mugs, vases, bowls. REACH compliance required - especially for food-contact ceramics regarding lead and cadmium migration limits.