Importing electrical goods from China: the UK rules

Who carries the duties

When a product is made outside the UK, the importer that places it on the market takes on duties the manufacturer would otherwise carry: checking that the conformity assessment was done, that the technical documentation exists, that the product is marked and labelled correctly, and keeping records. If you put your own brand on the product, you are treated as the manufacturer. Our CE and UKCA guide explains the marking and documents.

The eight sets of rules

Electrical safety: the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 apply to equipment designed for use between 50 and 1,000 volts AC or 75 and 1,500 volts DC. Electromagnetic compatibility: the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016. Anything with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or another radio falls under the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017 instead of the separate safety and EMC regulations.

Plugs: domestic appliances sold in the UK must be fitted with a UK plug and fuse under the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994. Hazardous substances: the RoHS Regulations 2012 restrict lead, mercury, cadmium and other substances in the product.

Take-back and batteries: the WEEE Regulations 2013 make the importer a producer with registration and take-back duties, covered in our WEEE guide, and products with batteries bring the Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2008. Connected products must meet the security requirements of the PSTI Regulations 2023; see our PSTI guide.

What to ask the factory for

Ask for test reports that name the exact model and rating you are buying, from the laboratory that did the testing, for electrical safety and EMC (or radio), a RoHS declaration with supporting test data, the technical file, and the UK plug and fuse fitted on the production units. A certificate on its own, or a report for a similar model, is not evidence for your product.

Settle the label and manual too: rating plate, your name and UK address as importer, the WEEE crossed-out wheelie bin symbol, and instructions and safety warnings in English.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 2,000 own-label electric kettles under 8516 79 70 90, at £16,000 free on board with £1,500 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £17,500. Duty at 2% is £350, and import VAT at 20% of £17,850 is £3,570, which a VAT-registered business normally reclaims. The border cost is small; the costs that decide whether the kettles can be sold are the safety and EMC test reports for the exact model, the UK plug and fuse, the UKCA or CE marking and the WEEE registration, all of which sit with the importer. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

Where to go next

Product guides cover the detail for each category, for example our own-brand small appliances guide, our electronics guide and our EV charger guide. If you need the tests and documents arranged, our testing and certification service can do it, and our quality inspection guide covers checking the production units.