How to export Welding equipment from the UK to China
Classify each welding model, establish whether CCC applies and prepare the UK export declaration before shipment. Chinese duty and import VAT affect the buyer’s landed cost; covered arc welders face a certification change in 2027. Cambridge China Bridge’s own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands.
Which welding products can you export?
Welding and soldering equipment needs a model-specific classification and CCC assessment before shipment. DC, TIG and MIG/MAG arc welders appear in the CCC reference table; do not treat every machine or spare part alike. Match the machine’s welding process, power source and automation to its Chinese tariff line before agreeing the supply contract.
UK exports under HS 8468-8515 (12 subheadings): HMRC recorded £3.1m of UK goods exports to mainland China under 12 HS6 subheadings in 2025 (2024: £3.8m, -18.8%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £231k.
January to month 7 of 2026: £4.3m against £1.9m in the same months of 2025 (+127%). This covers January to July 2026 under the same HS codes. The largest UK export line to mainland China in 2025 was 85158090, electrical machines and apparatus for welding thermoplastic materials, at £924k. These are HS-code totals, rather than sales of your particular product.
Resolve CCC before committing stock
The CCC reference table identifies DC, TIG and MIG/MAG arc welders under the self-declaration assessment method. Its associated ten-digit commodity codes are 8515319900, 8515390000, 8515319100, 8515809090 and 8515312000. Give your Chinese partner the model specifications so the applicable product scope and assessment route can be checked; a code match alone should not determine your shipment decision.
These products change to third-party certification from 1 January 2027, with certified conversion to be completed by 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027, covered products must have a CCC certificate and bear the CCC mark before import, sale or other specified commercial use. Allow for approvals taking months, not weeks; the Chinese authority decides. Resolve the applicable route before promising delivery.
Price against the Chinese tariff line
The 2026 Customs Import and Export Tariff distinguishes machines from parts: line 84689000 has a 3% provisional rate against 7% MFN. Duty and import VAT add to landed cost and shape the price your importer can offer. The standard import VAT rate is 13%, subject to exceptions; its base is customs value plus duty plus consumption tax. The importer’s customs broker confirms the applicable VAT treatment and whether consumption tax applies to this equipment.
| Chinese tariff line | MFN rate |
|---|---|
| 84681000 | 9% |
| 84682000 | 9% |
| 84688000 | 9% |
| 84689000 | 7% |
| 85151100 | 10% |
| 85151900 | 10% |
| 85152120 / 85152191 / 85152199 | 10% |
| 85152900 | 10% |
| 85153120 / 85153191 / 85153199 | 10% |
| 85153900 | 10% |
| 85158010 / 85158090 | 8% |
| 85159000 | 6% |
Prepare the UK export declaration
For exports from England, Scotland or Wales, obtain a GB EORI and classify each machine or part using the correct UK commodity code. The online export declaration needs the value, weight, packaging, destination, transport and invoice and packing-list references. Give the carrier the invoice and any applicable export licences or certificates. Keep the machine model and parts descriptions consistent across the paperwork so your Chinese buyer can reconcile them with its classification.
Do not build the plan around retail e-commerce
These welding HS lines have no matched entry on the cross-border e-commerce retail import list. Confirm the intended import route with the prospective importer's customs broker before planning a China launch. Work with the prospective importer on a shipment plan that addresses the exact Chinese tariff line and any applicable CCC requirements, including the certification transition for covered arc welders.
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Find and check your Chinese buyer
Look for an importer or distributor that can assess your welding models and explain how it will handle classification and applicable CCC requirements. 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.
We prepare registration and label work with licensed partners in China. The importer of record and other regulated roles stay with licensed partners in China, and the brand’s own filings stay the brand’s. We check with licensed partners. Use our export-to-China service to arrange the buyer checks and preparation around your specific equipment.
Frequently asked questions
Does every welding machine need CCC?
The CCC reference table names DC, TIG and MIG/MAG arc welders. Check the exact model and product scope before shipment; do not apply that conclusion to every soldering machine or spare part.
What changes for arc welders in 2027?
Covered DC, TIG and MIG/MAG arc welders move from self-declaration to third-party certification from 1 January 2027. Certified conversion must be completed by 31 December 2026.
What duty applies to welding-machine parts?
Chinese line 84689000 has 7% MFN duty and a 3% provisional rate in 2026. Line 85159000 has 6% MFN duty. Establish which line describes your parts before quoting a landed price.
Can I use China’s cross-border retail import route?
The supplied welding HS lines have no matched entry on the cross-border e-commerce retail import list. Plan the shipment with an importer around classification and applicable CCC requirements.
Sources
- HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics
- China Customs Import and Export Tariff 2026
- SAMR and GACC CCC reference table, Announcement 2020 No. 21
- SAMR announcement on CCC certification mode changes
- GOV.UK: Export goods from the UK
- GOV.UK: Make and manage an export declaration online
- Cross-border e-commerce retail import list 2019