Suitcases from China to Taiwan: freight, duty, BSMI inspection and brand warranties

Official rules table: shippable, duty, inspection, traveller allowance

Every row comes from the text of a law, an official announcement or an official query system (verified 2026-09-06); where the authorities have published nothing the row says "not found", with no guess added.

Every figure in this table comes from the text of a law, an official announcement or an official query system; where the answer is "not found", this page does not fill the gap with a guess. HowBridge ships only from China (the Shenzhen warehouse) to Taiwan, does not buy items for you, does not bid at auctions, does not advance payments and does not offer declared-value protection or additional insurance. Tariff classification and rates are ultimately determined by Customs.

Tariff lines, import rules and BSMI inspection

For tariff purposes a suitcase sits in heading 4202 of Chapter 42; all four main tariff lines carry a Column I rate of 6.6% and the import code C02. The sentence that really does get written wrong is "suitcases need no inspection".

• The four main tariff lines: 4202.11.00.00-5 (outer surface of leather or composition leather), 4202.12.00.10-2 (outer surface of plastics), 4202.12.00.20-0 (outer surface of textile materials) and 4202.19.00.00-7 (outer surface of other materials). All four carry a Column I rate of 6.6% and a Column III rate of 15%, and the Column II rate of 0% applies only to Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, New Zealand and Singapore. Mainland China is a World Trade Organization member, so Column I applies.
• ECFA is no help for suitcases: the ECFA Annex I Early Harvest List does contain 4202 items (42021210, 42021290, 42021900, 42022200), but those lines sit on the mainland side of the list, use mainland eight-digit tariff codes and mainland rates, and apply when Taiwan exports suitcases to the mainland. The chapters covered by the Taiwan side of the list do not include Chapter 42, so buying a suitcase in China and shipping it back to Taiwan gives no access to an ECFA preferential rate.
• Whether goods from the mainland may be shipped: querying 4202 in the Import and Export Regulations query system of the Trade Administration returns 23 tariff lines, and the only code in the import rules column is C02. Not a single line carries MW0 or MP1. Querying cattle tariff lines in the same system does display MW0, which proves that the system will show the code, so the absence of MW0 for 4202 is a real result. Article 7 of the Regulations Governing Trade Between the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area works on the principle that import is not allowed except in the listed cases, and suitcases are among the items the competent authority has announced as permitted.
• Suitcases are inspection-regulated goods: under Article 10 Paragraph 1 of the Commodity Inspection Act, the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection issued Announcement No. 10820002340 on 14 May 2019, amending the inspection requirements for suitcases. In the product schedule the product name is narrowed to "suitcases (inspection limited to case products with wheels or a trolley handle that have a frame or a fixed shape)", and the reference tariff lines are exactly the four listed above; the inspection standard is CNS 15331 (2018 edition) together with the labelling requirements of Article 9 of the Commodity Labeling Act, and inspection is carried out as type approval with batch-by-batch inspection or as registration of product certification. Soft bags, backpacks and travel bags with neither wheels nor a trolley handle are not in this product category.
• The personal-use exemption is written in a different regulation: being inspection-regulated does not mean an individual cannot ship one. Article 5 of the Regulations Governing Exemption from Commodity Inspection provides that non-commercial goods for personal use are exempt from inspection when the total value of the same specification and model on one declaration is US$1,000 or less, or above that value but limited to 2 pieces. The exemption removes only the commodity inspection step; declaration, taxes and the other border rules still apply, and it does not mean the product meets Taiwanese safety standards.
• Plasticisers and children: the 2019 announcement was amended to follow the revision of CNS 15331 on 14 December 2018 - an inspection-regulated suitcase that is not labelled "not suitable for use by children under 14" must comply with Section 4.2.7 of CNS 15331, under which the combined content of six phthalate plasticisers (DBP, BBP, DEHP, DNOP, DINP, DIDP) and their mixtures may not exceed 0.1%. The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection has not created a separate product category for children's suitcases; the child-related requirements are built into CNS 15331.

The provisions, announcements and query results above were verified on 2026-09-06. Whether an import rules column showing only C02 amounts to "no import permit required" could not be established: the original official explanation of the code system from the Trade Administration was not obtained in this round, so this page does not draw that conclusion. Two further lines, 4202.22.00.20-8 (handbags, textile materials) and 4202.92.90.92-7 (other similar containers, textile materials), also carry C02 but are not in the suitcase product schedule; the reason for that is not found.

Seven official brand warranties and after-sales in Taiwan

Warranty terms differ completely from brand to brand, and "the big brands all give a lifetime warranty" does not cover it; every line below comes from the wording of a brand's own warranty or store page, verified 2026-09-06.

• RIMOWA: new suitcases bought on or after 25 July 2022 carry a lifetime warranty, which the brand says covers all functional damage but excludes cosmetic wear, misuse and abuse. For purchases before that date the cover is 5 years with online registration and 2 years without, and it starts automatically at the time of purchase. The repair page adds that bags and special items other than suitcases are not covered for life and fall back on the statutory warranty period in each market. Taiwan has an official website and a customer service line, and the brand says most stores have a Client Care area where simple repairs can be done on the spot, but the store finder needs location access, so a store-by-store list for Taiwan could not be retrieved in this round.
• TUMI: 5 years on the travel, business and luggage lines, 2 years on wallets and accessories; the first year is the broadest, and the brand states expressly that damage caused by air transport or other carriage is covered by TUMI, including the shipping both ways for the repair. Improper use, leather scratches, fabric staining and other surface damage, accidental damage and the loss of or damage to contents are excluded. Taiwan has an official website, counters in the six special municipalities and a toll-free service line, and the brand also recommends registering with TUMI Tracer so that the purchase date is on record as evidence for the warranty.
• Samsonite: the Taiwan operation does not publish a single warranty period; cover follows the term printed on the warranty card supplied with the product. The official wording is that "if all of the above proof has been lost or is illegible, repairs will be quoted and charged", and misuse, improper care, accidents and wear are excluded. Repairs are accepted at the directly operated department store counters and take 2 to 4 weeks in normal cases and 4 to 6 weeks for complex ones (excluding holidays and shipping time); Taiwan also has official outlet-type locations. The brand does not publish a period for each product line, so this page does not state a number of years.
• Away (changed in 2026, so stop quoting the old terms): Away switched its warranty scheme on 14 April 2026 - purchases on or after that date fall under Away LifetimeCare, which provides free repairs for the first five years and may replace an item that cannot be repaired, while purchases before that date keep the original limited lifetime warranty. The returns page also states that the brand ships only to the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, and the official store list contains no location in Taiwan. The 100-day free return policy for unused goods still stands.
• Briggs & Riley: the official "Simple as that" warranty covers lifetime repair of every functional part, and the brand states expressly that damage caused by an airline is repaired free of charge; scratches, dents, scuffs and other cosmetic wear, stains and discolouration, damage to the contents, loss and theft are excluded. The customer service pages and the FAQ, however, list no international repair location at all, and the repair instructions are written around shipping within the United States, so an authorised repair centre in Taiwan is not found. International delivery is handled through Global-e, the destinations available have to be checked in the country switcher on the website, and the brand states that international orders cannot be returned.
• Travelpro and Proteca (ACE): the limited lifetime warranty on the Travelpro core collections covers defects in material and workmanship in the wheels, zips, trolley handle and carry handles, while damage caused by airlines or other public carriers falls under the Trusted Companion Promise and takes effect only with product registration within 120 days of purchase; the official FAQ points international customers only to the Canadian site and the UK and EU sites, with no shipping to Taiwan or the rest of Asia. The official warranty page of ACE, the parent company of Proteca, gives 10 years on suitcases and 5 years on bags and expressly excludes damage caused by airline handling or transport as well as outlet goods; the Proteca brand also has a separate 3-year "Premium Care" plan. The two sets of periods are different, so any quotation has to say which plan it refers to.
• How to read prices and channels: RIMOWA lists an official price for the same model on both its Taiwan and its US site (the Classic Cabin, for instance, is NT$56,000 on the Taiwan site and US$1,650 on the US site), but the two sites use different currencies and the US price usually excludes local tax, so this page neither converts them nor calculates a percentage difference. The brands with official after-sales that can be verified in Taiwan are RIMOWA, TUMI and Samsonite; official Taiwanese after-sales for Briggs & Riley, Away, Travelpro and Proteca is not found. HowBridge has no US or Japanese warehouse, does not buy items for you and does not send them in for repair; this section is only here to help you work out where a repair would have to go before you order.

Two pieces of information go out of date most easily: Away moved to LifetimeCare on 14 April 2026, so "Away always gives a lifetime warranty" is an out-of-date claim; and the Briggs & Riley pages confirm that no repair location in Taiwan is listed, so it must not be described as repairable in Taiwan. Brand terms are revised from time to time, so check the brand's official warranty page before you buy.

Cabin bag size and smart-luggage lithium batteries

There is no international standard for cabin bag size; only the airline counts. The carry-on limit at Taiwan's two major airlines is the same: 56 × 36 × 23 cm and 7 kg.

• First, what must not be quoted: the official IATA page states plainly that "baggage rules are set by airlines and IATA is not involved", and no recommended dimensions can be found on the current official pages either. The widely circulated "IATA recommended cabin size of 55 × 40 × 20" has no traceable source on the official pages, so quoting it means inventing an authority; the rule of the airline you are flying with always governs.
• China Airlines: carry-on dimensions include the wheels, the handle and the side pockets, and the length, width and height may not exceed 56 × 36 × 23 cm, with a maximum weight of 7 kg per piece. A personal item should be within 40 × 30 × 15 cm, or the three sides added together must not exceed 85 cm; anything larger counts towards the carry-on allowance. Economy and premium economy allow one carry-on piece plus one personal item, and business class two pieces plus one (each still within 7 kg). A garment bag may be at most 20 cm deep when folded.
• EVA Air: Royal Laurel Class, Premium Laurel Class and business class may carry 2 pieces, premium economy and economy 1 piece, none heavier than 7 kg; each side is capped at 23 × 36 × 56 cm, or the length, width and height added together must not exceed 115 cm. The airline warns specifically that wide-body and sports cases may still be too deep for the overhead bin even when the three sides added together stay within 115 cm; measuring gauges for carry-on baggage are provided at the check-in counters and in the departure lounges as the standard for assessment.
• The two airlines agree, so shop against these two numbers: China Airlines and EVA Air have the same carry-on size limit (56 × 36 × 23 cm and 7 kg), and EVA Air additionally offers the alternative test of 115 cm for the three sides added together. When choosing a cabin case, checking it against these two official figures is the most reliable approach, and the depth matters more than the inch size printed on the label.
• Smart luggage and lithium batteries: the lithium battery guidance of the Civil Aviation Administration and the Aviation Police Bureau states that spare lithium batteries must be individually protected against short circuit (taped over or placed in separate protective bags) and may only be carried in the cabin, never in checked baggage; spare lithium-ion batteries above 100 watt-hours but not above 160 watt-hours need the airline's approval, and each passenger may carry at most 2. EVA Air adds that a smart case that is overweight or oversized can only be checked in. As for the common claim that "the lithium battery in a smart case must be removable", the original wording could not be found on the Taiwanese official sites or on either airline's website in this round, so this page does not present it as a Taiwanese official rule; what applies is the notice for the flight you are taking.

Airline baggage rules are revised from time to time, so check the notice on the airline website for your flight before you travel. This section quotes only the official baggage pages of China Airlines and EVA Air and the guidance material of the Civil Aviation Administration, and no size table compiled by a third party.

Buying a suitcase on Chinese platforms: how freight works, why filling it pays

A suitcase is the extreme case of volumetric weight, and an empty one shipped home is almost always charged on volume. Work out first whether sea express or air freight is cheaper, then decide whether to fill the case.

• The volumetric weight formula: HowBridge sea express charges on "the greater of actual and volumetric weight, rounded up", where the volumetric weight is length × width × height in centimetres ÷ 10000. Take a 28-inch hard case of 75 × 50 × 30 cm with an actual weight of 4.5 kg: the volumetric weight is 11.25 kg, which is more than the actual weight, so the chargeable weight rounds up to 12 kg.
• For an empty case shipped home, air freight may well be cheaper: air freight counts actual weight only, ignores volume and has no last-mile fee. The same empty case by sea express is 12 kg × NT$50 = NT$600, plus a NT$100 last-mile fee because the actual weight is under 10 kg, for a total of NT$700; by air freight it is the actual weight rounded up to 5 kg × NT$100 = NT$500. For a single empty suitcase, price both options before you decide, and do not assume that anything going by sea is automatically cheaper.
• Filling the case is the whole point of luggage consolidation: pack the same case to an actual weight of 15 kg and the sea express chargeable weight is 15 kg = NT$750, with no last-mile fee because the actual weight reaches 10 kg; the same 15 kg by air freight would cost NT$1,500. That is only NT$50 more than the empty case, and you have moved 10.5 kg more goods - the volumetric weight is charged anyway, so unused space inside the case is simply thrown away.
• Large sea freight consignments are quoted case by case: the sea LCL consolidation from NT$25/kg or NT$150/cu ft and is quoted according to the goods, with the volume converted as length × width × height ÷ 28316 (cubic feet); this page does not work an example. For an exact amount, use the shipping cost calculator on the site or ask customer service for a quotation.
• Freight pushes up the tax base: the dutiable value is CIF, so the price of the goods has to be added to the freight and insurance to the port of import (Customs Act Article 29 Paragraph 3). A suitcase is not cheap to begin with, and with the freight inflated by volumetric weight it easily crosses the NT$2,000 duty-free threshold; once it does, the entire dutiable value is charged 6.6% duty and 5% business tax, not only the part above the threshold.
• Platform flagship stores could not be verified: in this round every brand flagship store address tested on Taobao and Tmall was blocked by an anti-bot interstitial, which is not evidence that can be cited, so this page does not assert that any brand runs an official flagship store on Tmall. LEVEL8 does have its own official brand site, but the Chinese name usually equated with it (romanised as Diping Xian 8 Hao, "Horizon 8") does not appear on the official pages, so the two are not treated here as the same thing. When buying a suitcase on a Chinese platform, check the authorisation and the invoicing of the shop yourself.

The rates are the published HowBridge rates (sea express NT$50 per unit, air freight NT$100 per kilogram, sea LCL consolidation from NT$25/kg or NT$150/cu ft) and match the shipping cost calculator on the site; the actual amount is the quotation given when you place the order. HowBridge accepts goods only at the Shenzhen warehouse and offers no declared-value protection or additional insurance.

Three routes: official Taiwan channels, brand international shipping, Shenzhen consolidation

FAQ