How to export pumps from the UK to China
Match the pump to its Chinese tariff line, confirm CCC coverage for the model, and agree the export arrangements with the importer. Duty varies by line, and VAT affects the landed price. Cambridge China Bridge’s own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands.
Match the pump to the Chinese buyer’s intended use
Pumps and liquid handling covers UK exports under HS 8413-8413 (12 subheadings). Establish whether you are supplying a complete pump, an engine pump, a liquid elevator or a part before agreeing the Chinese tariff line. For a distributor supplying business customers, assess the commercial import route; retail eligibility applies only to selected lines and personal-use purchases. For engines supplied alongside engine pumps, see our guide to exporting petrol engines to China.
HMRC recorded £97.3m of UK goods exports to mainland China under 12 HS6 subheadings in 2025 (2024: £87.8m, +10.8%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £8.3m. January to July 2026: £46.7m against £63.5m in the same months of 2025 (-26.3%). These are UK exports under HS 8413-8413 (12 subheadings).
The largest UK export line shown is 84139100, parts of pumps for liquids, at £21.5m in 2025. These are HS-code totals, rather than sales of your particular pump or spare part. Use that distinction when assessing whether a prospective importer serves the replacement-parts market or buys complete equipment.
Price against the exact Chinese tariff line
The listed MFN rates are shown below. A provisional 2026 rate of 6% is listed for 84131900 and rotary-pump lines 84136021, 84136032, 84136039, 84136050 and 84136060. Do not apply that provisional rate to every rotary pump.
The VAT Law sets a standard import VAT rate of 13%, with exceptions including agricultural machinery at 9%; confirm the treatment of your model with the importer’s customs broker. Import VAT uses the customs value plus customs duty plus consumption tax as its base. The broker or adviser confirms whether consumption tax applies to the pump. These border taxes increase landed cost and shape the price the importer can offer.
| Chinese tariff line | MFN rate |
|---|---|
| 84131100 | 10% |
| 84131900 | 10% |
| 84132000 | 10% |
| 84133021, 84133029, 84133030, 84133090 | 3% |
| 84134000 | 8% |
| 84135010, 84135020, 84135031, 84135039, 84135090 | 10% |
| 84136021, 84136022, 84136029, 84136031, 84136032, 84136039, 84136040, 84136050, 84136060, 84136090 | 10% |
| 84137010, 84137091, 84137099 | 8% |
| 84138100 | 8% |
| 84138200 | 8% |
| 84139100 | 5% |
| 84139200 | 6% |
Resolve CCC coverage for the actual model
The SAMR and GACC 2020 CCC reference table has no commodity-code row beginning with these pump HS6 codes. Catalogue descriptions can still cover a product, so a code search alone cannot settle CCC coverage. Have the importer obtain confirmation for the actual model and its intended use from the relevant Chinese authority before committing to supply. If your equipment range also includes boilers, see our guide to exporting boilers to China.
Use retail e-commerce only for eligible personal-use sales
The cross-border e-commerce retail import list includes 84132000 hand pumps, 84135010 pneumatic reciprocating pumps, 84135020 electric reciprocating pumps and 84138100 other liquid pumps. This is partial coverage of the pump range. The personal-use route does not support resale by the consumer; transaction limits are RMB 5,000 per purchase and RMB 26,000 per person annually.
For this route, the overseas business bears the main product quality and safety responsibility and must appoint a mainland-registered company to register with customs, declare truthfully and share civil liability. Before ordering, consumers must agree to a risk notice covering possible differences from Chinese standards, possible absence of Chinese labels, access to a Chinese electronic label and the personal-use restriction.
Prepare the UK pump shipment for declaration
For exports from England, Scotland or Wales, obtain a GB EORI and classify the pump under the correct UK commodity code. The online export declaration needs the code, value, weight, packaging, destination, transport details, and invoice and packing list references. Give the carrier the invoice and any required export licences or certificates. Align the declaration description with the model and configuration agreed with the Chinese importer.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
Find and check an importer for your pump range
Match potential partners to the pump or parts you supply and ask which customer applications they serve. Our own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands. If an importer has already approached you, our staff in China check that company before stock is sent or anything is signed. For food-production applications, see our guide to exporting food processing machines to China.
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, where required for the chosen retail route, the cross-border e-commerce agent. The brand’s own filings stay the brand’s.
Use our export-to-China service to arrange importer finding or checks for your pump range.
Frequently asked questions
What is China’s import duty on UK pump parts?
Chinese tariff line 84139100 for pump parts has an MFN rate of 5%. Liquid-elevator parts under 84139200 have an MFN rate of 6%. Confirm which line describes the part.
Can all pumps enter China through cross-border e-commerce?
No. The listed pump lines are 84132000, 84135010, 84135020 and 84138100. Retail imports are for personal use, and consumers may not resell them.
Does a pump HS code mean CCC is unnecessary?
No. The 2020 CCC reference table has no matching code prefix for these HS6 codes, but catalogue descriptions can still cover a product. Obtain confirmation for the actual model.
What must I prepare to declare a pump export from Great Britain?
You need a GB EORI, the correct commodity code, shipment value, weight, packaging, destination and transport details, plus invoice and packing list references for the online export declaration.
Sources
- HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics
- China Customs Import and Export Tariff 2026
- SAMR and GACC CCC reference table 2020
- Cross-border e-commerce retail import list 2019
- Cross-border retail import notice 486
- Cross-border retail import tax notice 49
- GOV.UK: Export goods from the UK
- GOV.UK: Make and manage an export declaration