How to export robots from the UK to China
Match the equipment to its Chinese tariff line and resolve any CCC certification requirement before shipment. Duty varies by line, and import VAT affects the buyer's landed cost. Cambridge China Bridge's own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands.
Choose the import route for the actual machine
Robots, cranes and lifting equipment need a model-specific classification and certification check before you agree shipment terms. Plan around an importer-led shipment: these products have no matching entry on the cross-border e-commerce retail import list. The UK export statistics cover goods under HS 8425-8427 (17 subheadings).
The same UK export scope also includes goods under HS 8427-8479 (17 subheadings). Its largest UK export line to mainland China was 84289090, lifting, handling, loading or unloading machinery, n.e.s., at £6.8m in 2025. These are HS-code totals, which can include other products.
HMRC recorded £21.1m of UK goods exports to mainland China under 34 HS6 subheadings in 2025 (2024: £16.0m, +32%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £2.4m. January to July 2026: £9.3m against £13.0m in the same months of 2025 (-28.7%). These are UK exports under HS 8425-8479 (34 subheadings).
Price against the Chinese tariff line
The listed Chinese tariff lines distinguish industrial robots under HS 842870 from those under HS 847950: Chinese line 84287000 has a 5% MFN rate, while 84795011, 84795019 and 84795090 have 0%. For parts under HS 843120, line 84312090 has a 6% MFN rate and a provisional 2026 rate of 3%. The selected lines below show why a broad equipment description is insufficient for pricing.
Import VAT normally uses the 13% rate, subject to the statutory exceptions, including the 9% agricultural machinery provision. Its base is customs value plus customs duty plus consumption tax; the importer's customs adviser confirms the applicable VAT treatment and whether consumption tax applies to the equipment. Border taxes add to landed cost and therefore shape the price an importer can offer.
| Chinese tariff line | MFN rate |
|---|---|
| 84251100 | 6% |
| 84251900 | 5% |
| 84253110 | 10% |
| 84253190 | 5% |
| 84263000 | 6% |
| 84264110 | 5% |
| 84264190 | 5% |
| 84287000 | 5% |
| 84289090 | 5% |
| 84312090 | 6% |
| 84795011 | 0% |
| 84795019 | 0% |
| 84795090 | 0% |
Resolve CCC scope before committing to shipment
The CCC reference table matches ten-digit code 8426411000 to motor vehicles, with third-party certification. For a crane falling within that entry, have the importer confirm the model's catalogue scope and arrange any required certification before import. Where CCC approval is required, allow months, not weeks; the Chinese authority decides. A reference-code match needs checking against the actual machine, rather than treating every robot or crane as subject to the same requirement.
Prepare the UK export file around the model
For exports from England, Scotland or Wales, you need a GB EORI and the correct commodity code. Agree who will make the online export declaration, supplying the equipment's value, weight, packaging, destination, transport details and invoice and packing list references. Give the carrier the invoice and any required export licences or certificates. Keep the model description consistent with the classification and CCC scope agreed with the importer.
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Check the importer before signing equipment terms
Ask a prospective importer how it will settle the machine's Chinese classification, address the 8426411000 CCC reference where relevant, and support the equipment after delivery. Establish who will handle installation, commissioning and spare parts in your commercial agreement. 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.
We prepare registration and label work with licensed partners in China. Regulated roles, including the importer of record, stay with licensed partners in China, and the brand's own filings stay the brand's. We check with licensed partners. Use Cambridge China Bridge's export-to-China service to discuss finding or checking an importer for your equipment.
Frequently asked questions
What is China's import duty on UK industrial robots?
Chinese tariff line 84287000 has a 5% MFN rate. Lines 84795011, 84795019 and 84795090 have 0%. Match the robot's specification to the correct line before quoting.
Does a UK crane need CCC certification for China?
The CCC reference table matches 8426411000 to motor vehicles with third-party certification. The importer must resolve whether the actual crane falls within that catalogue entry before shipment.
Can I sell lifting equipment through China's cross-border retail route?
These products have no matching entry on the cross-border e-commerce retail import list. Plan the shipment with a Chinese importer and resolve the machine's tariff line and certification scope.
Is there a provisional duty rate for forklift parts?
Chinese tariff line 84312090 has a 6% MFN rate and a provisional 2026 rate of 3%. Line 84312010 has a 6% MFN rate. Confirm which line describes the parts.