How to export bicycles from the UK to China

Match the bicycle to its Chinese import route

Bicycles sit within HS 871200, covering non-motorised bicycles and other cycles, including delivery tricycles. Establish the Chinese tariff line and whether the model falls within the children's-cycle CCC scope before agreeing shipment. General trade and cross-border retail require different preparation. The largest UK export line was 87120030, Bicycles, not motorised, with ball bearings £24.3m.

HMRC recorded £24.3m of UK goods exports to mainland China under HS 871200 in 2025 (2024: £25.7m, -5.5%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £446k. January to July 2026: £10.2m against £16.3m in the same months of 2025 (-37.4%).

Resolve CCC scope and bicycle safety requirements

The CCC reference table matches children's-cycle products to 8712008110, 8712008190, 8712008900 and 8712009000, using third-party certification. A code match calls for a product-scope check; it does not mean every bicycle under HS 871200 needs CCC. For a model within scope, settle certification before import. Certification approvals take months, not weeks; the Chinese authority decides.

GB 3565.2-2022 is the current mandatory safety standard covering city and trekking, young-adult, mountain and racing bicycles. Give the importer the model specification so its compliance adviser can confirm the applicable requirements before you commit stock.

Price against the Chinese tariff line

Chinese MFN duty varies by bicycle tariff line. Standard import VAT is 13%; its calculation base is customs value plus duty plus consumption tax. The importer's customs broker or adviser confirms whether consumption tax applies to these bicycles. Border taxes add to landed cost and shape the price the importer can offer your brand.

Prepare the UK bicycle export declaration

For exports from England, Scotland or Wales, find the correct UK commodity code and obtain a GB EORI. The online export declaration needs the bicycle shipment's value, weight, packaging, destination and transport details, plus invoice and packing-list references. Agree who will make the declaration. Give the carrier the invoice and any required export licences or certificates.

Check whether cross-border retail suits the model

The retail import list includes 87120020 racing bicycles, 87120030 mountain bicycles, 87120041 off-road bicycles of 16, 18 or 20 inches, 87120049 other off-road bicycles, 87120081 otherwise unspecified bicycles of 16 inches or less, and 87120089 other unspecified bicycles. Entries 87120030 and 87120081 exclude used mechanical and electrical products whose import is prohibited or restricted by the state.

Listed bicycles imported through bonded 1210 or direct 9610 retail channels are supervised as personal-use articles. First-import licence, registration and filing requirements do not apply, subject to epidemic-area suspensions and emergency risk measures. The overseas business retains primary quality and safety responsibility and must appoint a mainland-registered company to register with customs, declare truthfully and share civil liability.

The consumer must accept a pre-order risk notice explaining possible differences from Chinese standards, possible absence of a Chinese label with an online Chinese e-label available, and the personal-use restriction against resale. Transaction limits are RMB 5,000 per order and RMB 26,000 annually per person. Discuss these limits with the retail operator before selecting bicycles for this route.

Find and check a Chinese bicycle importer

Ask a prospective importer which bicycle models it wants, which Chinese tariff lines it proposes and whether it plans distributor sales or personal-use cross-border retail. Have it explain how it will resolve CCC scope and GB 3565.2-2022 requirements. Compare that plan with your model specifications and export paperwork before agreeing supply.

Our own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands. If an importer has already approached your brand, our staff in China check that company before stock is sent or anything is signed.

We prepare registration and label work with licensed partners in China. Regulated roles stay with licensed partners in China, including the importer of record and, for cross-border retail, the required agent; your brand's own filings stay your brand's. We check with licensed partners. Use our export-to-China service to arrange this work.