Importing goods from China

Does anyone know anything about importing goods from China, with regards to import duties etc. I am talking about buying items online from China for personal use ,and not as a commercial venture. If it proves to be to problematic then I would have them delivered to my daughters address in UK and collect them when we visit. But I would prefer to have them sent here.  Any info will be appreciated.            BTW. I dont like the spellchucker that this site forces me to use.