Exporting British-made flooring
Forbo makes no public claim about exporting its UK production, so we will not make one on their behalf. What follows is what DCTUK does — and it is a good deal more useful to you than a manufacturer’s brochure line.
On this page
Why specify British-made textile flooring from abroad
Environmental data that satisfies international green building schemes
Forbo states that 84% of all flooring it sells carries a third-party verified Environmental Product Declaration. That document — not a sustainability brochure — is what a LEED, BREEAM, Estidama, Green Star or WELL submission actually requires. We supply it with the quotation.
Two named plants, not an anonymous supply chain
Tessera comes from Bamber Bridge in Lancashire. Flotex comes from Ripley in Derbyshire. You can name the plant in your specification and your certificate of origin will say United Kingdom.
British contract durability as standard
Class 33 heavy commercial use and continuous castor chair ratings are the baseline in UK specification, not the premium option. Every range on this site carries both.
Flotex solves problems in hot and humid territories
This is worth spelling out for buyers in the Gulf, South East Asia and equatorial Africa. A completely waterproof, washable, slip-resistant textile floor that dries in 4–6 hours behaves very differently in a humid climate from a conventional carpet tile, which does not dry and does not tolerate wet cleaning.
Palettes deep enough to standardise a portfolio
Tessera Layout and Teviot each carry 32 colourways; Chroma carries 24; Flotex Colour Metro carries 25. An international estate can standardise on one product code across every territory.
How we ship
Full container load (FCL)
Most economical above roughly 1,000 m². Tiles and planks ship boxed on standard pallets; a 20ft container typically takes around 10–11 pallets and a 40ft around 20–22, depending on box dimensions and pallet configuration. Coverage per box varies between ranges, so we confirm the exact loadout against your specific ranges and quantities before quoting.
Palletised groupage (LCL)
For smaller quantities, sample boards and phased deliveries — consolidated freight to your nearest port or inland hub.
Air freight
Available for urgent replacement stock and samples. Rarely economical for a full floor.
Incoterms
We quote EXW (ex works, Liverpool), FOB, CIF and DAP. If your own forwarder is collecting, EXW is usually cleanest; if you would rather we handle it to your port, CIF.
Export documentation
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list with carton counts, gross and net weights and pallet dimensions
- Certificate of origin confirming United Kingdom manufacture
- Manufacturer's product datasheet and technical specification
- Environmental Product Declaration for the specified range
- ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification evidence on request
- Reaction-to-fire classification data on request
- Bill of lading or air waybill
Commodity codes: tufted textile floor coverings such as Tessera generally fall under HS heading 5703; flocked products such as Flotex are usually classified under 5705, but classification of flocked flooring varies by territory and is worth confirming with your own broker before you commit to a duty assumption.
Lead times
| Samples, worldwide courier | 2–5 working days |
|---|---|
| UK stocked ranges, ex works | 2–5 working days |
| Manufactured to order, ex works | Typically 3–6 weeks depending on range and quantity |
| UK to Northern Europe, sea | Approximately 3–7 days transit |
| UK to Middle East, sea | Approximately 18–25 days transit |
| UK to Asia-Pacific, sea | Approximately 28–40 days transit |
| UK to US East Coast, sea | Approximately 12–18 days transit |
Indicative port-to-port estimates excluding customs clearance and inland haulage. Confirmed lead times are given at quotation.
Specification support
Working to British standards from another jurisdiction is the part that costs time. At no charge we provide:
- Range selection against your performance brief — traffic class, castor use, acoustic target, recycled content threshold, washability
- Guidance on whether Tessera or Flotex fits the brief, which is the single most common question we get from overseas specifiers
- Full colourway sample boxes shipped to your office
- Quantity take-off from your floor plans with wastage and cutting allowances
- EPD and certification packs formatted for LEED, BREEAM, Estidama and Green Star
- Advice on adhesive systems and subfloor preparation appropriate to your climate — this matters more than people expect in high-humidity territories
Request an export quotation
Send the range or performance brief, quantity in square metres, destination port or delivery address, and preferred Incoterm. We will come back with a landed cost, a lead time and a loading plan.
Frequently asked questions
Can Forbo Tessera and Flotex be shipped internationally?
Yes. DCTUK ships British-manufactured Forbo flooring worldwide, palletised or by full container load, with full export documentation including a certificate of origin confirming UK manufacture.
Does Forbo say it exports its UK production?
Not publicly, as far as we can establish, so we do not claim it does. What we can tell you is that DCTUK exports British-made Forbo flooring, and that the certificate of origin on your shipment will name the United Kingdom.
Which Incoterms do you quote?
EXW (ex works, Liverpool), FOB, CIF and DAP.
Is Flotex suitable for hot and humid climates?
It is a strong fit. Flotex is completely waterproof, washable and dries in 4–6 hours, which conventional carpet does not. The variable to get right is the adhesive system and subfloor moisture control, which we advise on as part of specification support.
Can you supply EPDs for a LEED or BREEAM submission?
Yes. Forbo states 84% of its flooring carries a third-party verified EPD; we supply the relevant declaration and ISO certification evidence with the quotation.