Second-Hand and Vintage Clothing to Taiwan: What Can Be Shipped, What It Costs in Tax, and Which Materials Are Red Lines

Official rules table: shipping, duties, quarantine, conservation, counterfeits

Every row is taken from the text of the law or from an official search system, verified on 2026-09-06. Where the authorities have published nothing the row says "not found", and nothing is filled in by guesswork.

Every figure in this table comes from the text of the law or from an official search system, and nothing is guessed where the answer is "not found". HowBridge only ships from China (its Shenzhen warehouse) to Taiwan; we do not buy items for you, bid for you or pay for you, and we do not authenticate goods or provide declared-value cover. Tariff classification, customs value and the rate of duty are ultimately determined by customs.

Used-clothing tariff line and import rules: why blank means no permit

The blank import-regulation field for used clothing is not a gap in the data; there really is no restriction. But that "no restriction" applies only to tariff line 6309, and textiles in other chapters have their own country-of-origin marking rules.

• Cross-checked in both systems: the Trade Administration import and export regulation search shows a blank import-regulation field for 6309.00.00.00-6 (used clothing and other used textile articles), with no MW0, no MP1, and no 111 (import controlled), 121 (import permit), B01, C01 or C02. The mainland China goods import search shows that this line has been in the database of mainland goods permitted for import since 1989-01-01, with the special-regulation field likewise blank. As a control, 6109.10.00.00-6 (cotton T-shirts) shows special regulation M79 in the same database, which proves that the field does display a value when one exists. All eight lines of heading 6310 (new and used rags and scrap cordage) are blank as well.
• Why blank means no permit is needed: the Trade Administration notes on using import regulations state that "under the Foreign Trade Act, import management takes the approach of permission as the rule and restriction as the exception ... a negative-list system is adopted and a Table of Commodities Subject to Import Restriction is compiled", and point 4 states that goods outside that table "are not restricted for import and are exempt from an import permit, and the importer may declare them to customs directly". For goods outside the restriction table sent by post, no import permit is required where the FOB value is USD 20,000 or less.
• The rate of duty is still to be verified: the tariff database of this site shows 10% in both column I and column III for 6309, but the Customs Administration tariff rate search has moved to a dynamic page on the single trade window, so this figure could not be verified against the official system this time. It is therefore marked here as pending verification, and the rate applied is the one determined by customs.
• But do not read that as "entirely unregulated": point 4, subparagraph 1 of the Trade Administration other related import regulations (in force from 2008-05-01) provides that textiles imported under CCC chapters 61 and 62, together with certain towels and quilt and bedding products, "shall, unless otherwise provided, bear the correct country of origin on the article itself, and goods not marked as required may not be cleared for import". Used clothing under 6309 is not in chapters 61 or 62 and is not caught by this rule, but a whole batch of second-hand garments in good condition classified as ordinary clothing in chapters 61 and 62 does have to meet the origin-marking rule. Annex 1 to that provision (the conditions for exemption from origin marking) is not embedded in the official page and was not found this time, so this page does not speculate about whether it covers personal use or small quantities.
• Origin marking is stricter for footwear: point 4, subparagraph 2 of the same official regulations (in force from 2006-10-02) provides that footwear imported under headings 6401 to 6405 must show the country of production by branding, heat stamping, printing or a sewn-in label that is fixed and cannot be removed or replaced, and that goods not marked as required may not be cleared for import. Labels on second-hand shoes have often come off or worn away, which in practice is the point where consignments most often get held up.
• Used clothing is not industrial waste: Article 38, Paragraph 1 of the Waste Disposal Act governs the import and export of "industrial waste", for which a permit must be sought from the municipal or county competent authority. Used clothing and rags imported as merchandise and classified under 6309 or 6310 carry no Ministry of Environment code in the Trade Administration system (550, 551, 552, 554, 555, 560, 801, 805, 810, 820, 843), and second-hand clothing sent by an individual is certainly not industrial waste. The claim that "importing used clothing requires an application" has no official basis in the Trade Administration system, in the full text of the other related import regulations, or in the Waste Disposal Act.

These searches and provisions were verified on 2026-09-06, and the compilation of the Laws and Regulations Database is current to 2026-08-28. One outdated claim is worth flagging: the exemption from import duty for a customs value of NT$3,000 or less under the former Regulations Governing Duty-free Importation of Postal Consignments was repealed on 2014-02-07. The current threshold is NT$2,000, so any claim that "postal consignments are duty-free up to NT$3,000" should never be believed.

Quarantine and conservation: the real red lines for feathers, fur and leather

Second-hand clothing is not itself an article subject to quarantine, but as soon as the material involves animal hide, hair or feathers you have to separate the raw form from the finished form, and endangered-species materials are a red line at the criminal level.

• The statutory definition of quarantine articles covers hide, hair and feathers: Article 5, Paragraph 1 of the Statute for Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases defines quarantine articles as animals and their carcasses, bones, meat, viscera, fat, blood, hide, hair and feathers, horns, hooves, tendons and other items capable of carrying the pathogens of infectious animal diseases; Paragraph 2 authorises the central competent authority to designate items and announce them as articles subject to quarantine.
• Articles subject to quarantine may not be imported by post: Article 34, Paragraph 3 of the same statute reads, "articles subject to quarantine may not be imported by post; where they are imported by post they shall be returned, confiscated or destroyed. On receiving an article subject to quarantine imported by post, the consignee shall immediately deliver it to the animal quarantine authority for destruction." This provision is decisive for consolidation and express shipping: paying the tax does not get it through, because it cannot be sent by post at all.
• B01 attaches to the raw form, not the finished form: in the tariff schedule, 0505.10.00.00-8 (feathers and down for stuffing), 0505.90.30.00-5 (feathers and down not for stuffing), the whole of heading 4301 (raw furskins of every kind) and most lines under 4103 (raw hides) carry B01, while the import-regulation field is blank for garments under 6201 and 6202, for 4303 (articles of apparel of furskin), for 4113.30 (tanned leather of reptiles without hair) and for 4302 (tanned or dressed furskins). In other words, finished second-hand down jackets and leather garments carry no quarantine code in the tariff schedule.
• No code does not mean no risk: Article 33, Paragraph 5 of the same statute provides that where an item has not been announced as an article subject to quarantine but the animal quarantine authority considers that it risks spreading an infectious animal disease, the authority may impose compulsory quarantine on its own initiative, and may prohibit import or take other necessary measures where such a risk is found. So it cannot be written that "a second-hand down jacket is always fine".
• Endangered-species materials mean criminal liability, and there is no personal-use exception: Article 24, Paragraph 1 of the Wildlife Conservation Act provides that "live wildlife and products of protected wildlife may not be imported or exported without the consent of the central competent authority"; Article 3, Subparagraph 6 defines products as the whole or part of a carcass, bone, horn, tooth, hide, hair, egg or organ, or a processed article thereof; and a breach is punished under Article 40 with imprisonment of not less than six months and not more than five years, together with a fine of NT$300,000 to NT$1,500,000. Searching the whole Act for "personal use", "individual", "carry", "traveller" and "baggage" turns up only the hunting rules for indigenous traditional culture and rituals, which have nothing to do with import.
• A blank tariff field is no shield: the import-regulation field is blank for 4302 (tanned furskins), 4303 (articles of apparel of furskin, which even includes 4303.10.00.10-2, articles of apparel of tiger or leopard furskin), 4113.30 and 4103.20 (raw hides of reptiles), but the Wildlife Conservation Act applies directly and is not disapplied merely because no code is attached in the tariff schedule. Before buying a second-hand crocodile-skin bag, python-skin bag or mink coat, confirm that the consent document of the Ministry of Agriculture can be obtained; if it cannot, do not buy.

No official list that could be cited item by item was obtained this time, either for the table of animals and plants subject to quarantine or for the schedule of protected wildlife species, so this page uses the presence or absence of B01 in the tariff schedule as its test and, on conservation, returns to the text of the Wildlife Conservation Act itself. For second-hand leather goods and fur whose material is unclear or which the seller cannot explain, the safest course is not to buy.

The official wording of Chinese resale platforms

Every point below is taken from the platform website, the official rulebook or in-app notices. Where a platform has published nothing it says "not found", and industry rumour is not used to fill the gap.

• Duozhuayu buys and resells on its own account and is not a C2C marketplace: it describes itself as a "circular store for durable everyday goods", runs factories in Wuqing, Tianjin and in Kunshan, Jiangsu, and puts everything it takes in through condition and authenticity checks, cleaning and refurbishment, ozone disinfection and repackaging. Its official FAQ reads, "every garment, bag, pair of shoes and accessory sold by Duozhuayu is ozone-disinfected in accordance with the national Technical Standard for Disinfection; testing shows that this kills more than 99% of common bacteria". What the platform states is the Chinese national disinfection standard and more than 99% of common bacteria, which is not a Taiwanese or international certification and is not a guarantee of sterility.
• The official Duozhuayu cross-border service does not currently cover clothing: its overseas shopping policy expressly covers Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as well as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and several European countries, and states that "Duozhuayu prices already include clearance and import duty"; but the same policy also says "only books can be bought at present", and the shopping-cart notice puts it even more plainly: "outside Hong Kong, cross-border shipping supports books only". If you want second-hand clothing from Duozhuayu, the official channel does not ship it directly to Taiwan. That is only a statement of how the platform stands today; its official documents never mention or authorise any consolidation arrangement.
• Duozhuayu has two official versions of its condition grading: the Clothing Transaction Rules state that "the clothing sold currently falls into two grades, good and medium", while the app carries a finer set of four condition descriptions, from "almost no trace of wear by the previous owner" to "clear signs of use overall". Both are official texts but the number of grades does not match, so this page sets both out as they are rather than merging them. The platform also notes that "the condition grade of a second-hand item is based mainly on overall appearance", so some very minor flaws do not affect the grade and are not covered after the sale.
• The 7-day return of Duozhuayu is of almost no use to consolidation buyers: the official rules allow a return within 7 days of the delivery record showing receipt, provided the item is "unused, unwashed, undamaged and still carries the Duozhuayu tag and tamper-proof label", with shipping in both directions paid by the buyer. If the parcel goes to the Shenzhen warehouse and is then consolidated back to Taiwan, returning it to mainland China within 7 days is not realistic in practice, so size and condition have to be settled before ordering. The official FAQ also carries the heading "is there declared-value cover for second-hand clothing", but the text of the answer could not be obtained this time, so this page states nothing about declared-value cover.
• The official rules of Xianyu and Zhuanzhuan each break off at a point: Xianyu is the C2C marketplace for idle goods of Alibaba Group and describes its services as including an inspection guarantee, but the detailed terms of that guarantee, the categories it applies to and whether it covers second-hand clothing were not found; several official addresses in the platform rule centre return 404 or 502, and the transaction and fee rules could not be obtained this time. Zhuanzhuan positions its brand as "official inspection for second-hand goods", yet its published inspection terms read "the platform only describes the current condition of a mobile phone in its inspection", and its inspection scope, 51 test items and 7-day no-reason return all apply to phones and electronic devices. Whether Zhuanzhuan offers official inspection for second-hand clothing is nowhere stated, and the claim must not be extended.
• Luxury resale platforms describe authentication far more clearly than cleaning: Plum states that it has entered a long-term strategic partnership with the China Certification & Inspection Group (CCIC) luxury authentication centre and gives every item that passes authentication its own anti-counterfeiting label, and its app notice reads "authenticated as genuine, with Taikang underwriting triple compensation for a fake"; ZZER states that it has "senior authenticators holding CCIC credentials, with every item authenticated physically". But neither publishes any standard for the cleaning, disinfection or condition grading of second-hand clothing: Plum offers only the marketing line "a 20-step authentication and care process", without saying which 20 steps or whether cleaning and disinfection are among them, and this page does not fill that in for it. The return terms of both platforms could not be obtained this time either.
• The company behind 95fen is often reported wrongly: the official 95fen user agreement records the operator as Shanghai Zhichao Information Technology Co., Ltd. and states that it "works with the Dewu app and the Shihuo app to provide product authentication for users". Its own account of the process includes "inspection and authentication, cleaning and sterilisation", but the method of sterilisation, the standard, the categories covered and whether it is done for every item are all unstated. For the claim often seen online that "95fen belongs to AHS Recycle", no official source was found and there is evidence to the contrary: the website of the parent company of AHS Recycle lists four businesses of its own, AHS Recycle, PJT Marketplace, Paipai and AHS DEVICE, and 95fen is not among them.
• No platform officially acknowledges working with a consolidation operator: the anti-fraud notice on the 95fen website reads, "95fen has never authorised or entrusted any third-party website to conduct transaction business; you should buy through this official channel, the 95fen app, and no third-party channel is trustworthy, so please guard against fraud". A full-text search of the official pages of the other platforms for "Taiwan", "Hong Kong", "overseas", "consolidation", "forwarding" and "cross-border" also finds no statement of delivery coverage or partnership. You place the order on the platform yourself and enter the Shenzhen warehouse address yourself; HowBridge is not a partner of any platform, not an authorised channel, and does not place orders for you.

The official texts of the platforms are not always consistent with one another either: an older Duozhuayu FAQ lists bags, accessories and shoes as items it does not take in, while the same official resource and its disinfection notice clearly cover those categories, so this page does not cite that passage, and what the platform actually takes in and sells is governed by its own intake result at the time. The Zhuanzhuan website and its app notice also give different figures for the number of inspectors and the number of tests, so this page cites neither a headcount nor a test count.

How freight is calculated and what to check on arrival

Second-hand clothing is cheap per item, comes in quantity and is bulky, so volumetric weight and item count easily push up both the freight and the tax base. Cleaning after arrival is your own job, not a Taiwanese entry requirement.

• The volumetric weight formula: the chargeable weight for HowBridge sea express is the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight, rounded up to the next whole kilogram; volumetric weight is length × width × height in centimetres ÷ 10000, the rate is NT$50 per unit, and a delivery fee of NT$100 is added where the actual weight is under 10 kilograms. Air freight is charged on actual weight only at NT$100 per kilogram, with no volumetric calculation and no delivery fee. The dedicated sea LCL consolidation from NT$25/kg or NT$150/cu ft and is quoted by product, with volume converted using ÷ 28316. Second-hand clothing is one of the few categories where compressing the packing brings the volumetric weight straight down.
• Consolidating beats splitting, but do not mistake that for a bigger duty-free amount: the chargeable weight is rounded up once for the whole batch, so splitting means rounding up several times and paying the delivery fee several times. The customs value, however, is also combined: Article 11 of the postal consignment regulations combines consignments from the same sender to the same consignee arriving on the same day, and Article 14 of the air express regulations states directly that goods in the same consignment may not be declared separately. Splitting does not give you the NT$2,000 exemption several times over; it is more likely to be treated as splitting a single consignment.
• Freight pushes up the tax base: the customs value is on a CIF basis, and Article 29, Paragraph 3 of the Customs Act expressly includes "freight, loading and unloading charges and handling charges to the port of import" and "insurance" in the customs value. Second-hand clothing is cheap per item, but once there are many items the freight share is high and the whole batch easily crosses NT$2,000.
• The declared value is not the customs value: under the final paragraph of Article 29 of the Customs Act, where customs doubts the authenticity or accuracy of the transaction documents or their contents and reasonable doubt remains after the taxpayer has explained, the transaction value is treated as unusable. Valuation then follows the order of Article 31 (identical goods), Article 32 (similar goods), Article 33 (domestic selling price), Article 34 (computed value) and Article 35 (a reasonable method). Single second-hand items have no identical or similar goods for comparison, so in practice they often fall to Article 35, where customs determines the value by a reasonable method on the basis of the information obtained. Deliberate under-declaring is therefore pointless, and declaring honestly is the least troublesome course.
• Washing after arrival is your job, not an entry requirement: this check found in official sources no rule requiring a disinfection certificate or a particular washing procedure for second-hand clothing on entry. Ozone disinfection at the platform end, as at Duozhuayu, is the quality process of the platform itself, not a Taiwanese clearance condition. Wash the items at the temperature and by the method on the care label; this page gives no sterilisation temperature or drying time, because there is no source for one.
• Three things to rule out before you order: leather goods and fur whose material involves endangered species, loose feathers and down and raw furskins, and counterfeit goods. The first two are matters of criminal liability and of a ban on import by post; for the third, since 2025-05-29 even small values are no longer exempt from penalty, and an administrative penalty does not look at whether you intended to sell.

The rates are the published HowBridge prices (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 the calculation matches the shipping cost calculator on this site; the actual amount is the quotation given when you place the order. HowBridge does not provide declared-value cover or additional insurance, and does not arrange authentication of any kind.

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