How to export boilers to China

Boilers, furnaces and process heating equipment: UK exports under HS 8402-8514 (38 subheadings)

Start by separating industrial equipment from household gas appliances: the CCC reference table matches household instantaneous gas water heaters and gas heating water boilers, rather than every boiler or furnace. Identify the model, heating method and intended use before quoting. The largest listed UK export line was heat-exchange units under HS 841950, UK line 84195080, at £20.3m in 2025; that is an HS-code total, not sales of your product alone. For food-production applications, see our guide to exporting food processing machines to China.

HMRC recorded £51.2m of UK goods exports to mainland China under 38 HS6 subheadings in 2025 (2024: £52.0m, -1.7%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £6.8m. January to July 2026: £18.2m against £35.6m in the same months of 2025 (-49%). These UK exports were under HS 8402-8514 (38 subheadings).

Resolve CCC scope before accepting an order

The CCC reference matches are household instantaneous gas water heaters at 8419110000 and gas heating water boilers at 8419110000 or 8403101000. Send the exact model specification to the importer and its certification partner to confirm with the Chinese authority whether certification applies, what work is required and whether it must be completed before import. Plan approvals in months, not weeks; the Chinese authority decides whether approval is granted.

Price against the Chinese tariff line

These selected MFN rates come from the 2026 Customs Import and Export Tariff. Provisional rates are 5% for 84041020, 84042000, 84049010, 84178050 and 84191200. Import VAT is generally 13%, subject to reduced-rate or special provisions, calculated on customs value plus duty plus consumption tax. The importer's adviser confirms whether consumption tax applies to the equipment. Duty and VAT increase landed cost and shape the price your buyer can offer.

Prepare the UK shipment information

Classify the equipment using the correct UK commodity code. Exporting from England, Scotland or Wales requires a GB EORI number and an online export declaration. Give the declarant the value, weight, packaging, destination, transport details and invoice and packing-list references. The carrier needs the invoice and any required export licences or certificates. Keep model descriptions consistent across the specification, invoice and declaration so the buyer can review the shipment against its Chinese classification.

Use retail e-commerce only for eligible personal-use goods

The retail import list covers only part of this range: 84191100 gas instantaneous water heaters, 84191200 solar water heaters, 84199010 water-heater parts and 84199090 other machinery parts under heading 84.19. A listed part or heater does not make an industrial installation eligible. Check the exact listing and intended transaction before choosing this route.

Listed goods through bonded 1210 or direct 9610 channels are supervised as personal-use articles, with first-import licensing, registration and filing requirements disapplied subject to epidemic-area and emergency-risk exceptions. Consumers must accept a risk notice covering possible differences from Chinese standards and labels, and must not resell the goods. The limits are RMB 5,000 per transaction and RMB 26,000 per person annually.

The overseas retail business bears the main product-quality and safety responsibility. It must appoint a mainland-registered company to register with customs, declare truthfully and share civil liability. Establish who will undertake that role before offering eligible heaters or parts to consumers.

Check the Chinese buyer before committing equipment

Our own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands. If an importer has already approached you, our staff check that company before stock is sent or anything is signed. For these orders, establish the buyer's intended application, agreed models, import route and responsibility for resolving CCC scope before committing equipment.

We prepare registration and label work with licensed partners in China. Regulated roles, including the importer of record and any required retail e-commerce agent, stay with licensed partners in China; the brand's own filings stay the brand's. Use our export-to-China service to arrange buyer checks and preparation with those partners.