Sourcing AC wallbox EV chargers from China
An AC wallbox sold in Great Britain for home or workplace use must meet the Smart Charge Points Regulations 2021, and one with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a mobile modem also falls under the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017. Ask the factory for the statement of compliance and the radio and electrical test evidence for the exact model and firmware before you order.
Products and search terms
AC wallbox, home EV charger, workplace EV charger, 7kW charger, 22kW charger, Type 2 socket charger, tethered charger, untethered charger
Define the wallbox before asking for prices
State the supply (single-phase or three-phase), the rated current and output you need, whether the unit is tethered with a cable or untethered with a socket, the cable length, the enclosure rating you need outdoors, and how the charger will be managed: app, local network or a back office over OCPP. Factories quote very different products under the same 7kW or 22kW label.
Ask which parts the factory makes itself. Many assemblers buy the relay board, metering, residual current detection and the communications module from other suppliers. Record those component makers and the firmware version in the approved specification, so a later substitution has to come back to you. Our product specification guide sets out the format.
If the wallbox is for public use, or you also need rapid DC equipment, read sourcing EV chargers for UK operators first: public charge points carry reliability and payment duties that private wallboxes do not.
Smart charge point rules for home and workplace units
The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 apply to charge points sold in Great Britain for private domestic and workplace use. GOV.UK guidance lists functions the equipment must support, including continued charging if the communications network is lost, default off-peak charging hours the owner can change, and a randomised delay. Public and rapid charge points are outside these rules.
The seller must provide a statement of compliance, and the technical file has to support it. Ask the factory for both for the exact model, hardware revision and firmware you will sell. A statement written for another firmware build does not cover yours. If the UK seller is you, you carry the obligation, not the factory.
For a home installation funded by a grant, see home EV charger grants and UK installation for the installer's side of the job.
Electrical and radio evidence
A wallbox on a 230V or 400V supply sits within the voltage range of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, which cover equipment rated between 50V and 1000V AC. A connected wallbox with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a mobile modem is also radio equipment, so ask for the conformity assessment under the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017 as well. Our electrical imports guide explains the declaration and technical file.
Request the test reports by model, with the report number, laboratory, standard list and the photographs of the tested sample. Compare the photographs with the pre-production sample: board layout, relay, connector and enclosure should match. Use the CE and UKCA guide to check the marking and the declaration of conformity.
Agree who appears on the label and in the instructions as the importer, and ask for English installation and user instructions before the shipment is booked.
Duty: two candidate codes, so get the classification settled
A wallbox mainly switches and controls the AC supply to the car; it does not convert it. That points towards control equipment in heading 8537 rather than the static converters of 8504 used for DC chargers. The two candidates carry different duty, so ask your customs agent to classify the exact unit from its circuit description, or apply for an advance tariff ruling before a large order. Our commodity code guide covers the method.
The UK Trade Tariff API, read on 26 October 2026, shows the rates below. Neither line showed an anti-dumping measure on China. The suspensions listed on 8537 10 98 99 cover named products only, such as specified vehicle control units, and do not describe a wallbox.
| Candidate | Commodity code | Third-country duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control equipment for electric control, voltage not over 1000V (other) | 8537109899 | 2% | None shown |
| Static converter (where the unit actually converts AC to DC) | 8504406090 | 0% | None shown |
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What to check before the goods ship
Run your acceptance on the production firmware: start, stop and schedule a charge; cut the network connection mid-charge and confirm charging continues as the smart charge rules require; check the off-peak default and the randomised delay; and confirm the app or back office shows the session correctly.
At inspection, check the rating label, serial numbers against the shipping list, the cable or socket type, enclosure seals and glands, the residual current detection device named in the approved specification, and the packed accessories and instructions. A pre-shipment inspection should sample against these written criteria, not a generic electrical checklist.
Cambridge China Bridge organises the test evidence and the inspection through its testing and certification service, and can check the factory before you pay a deposit.
Frequently asked questions
Do the smart charge point rules apply to wallboxes for a hotel car park?
GOV.UK guidance applies the 2021 regulations to charge points for private domestic and workplace use and excludes public and rapid charge points. Check how the hotel units will be offered before choosing which rules apply.
Is a CE mark on a Chinese wallbox enough for the UK?
No mark on its own proves compliance. Ask for the declaration of conformity, the test reports for the exact model and the smart charge statement of compliance, and check that they match the firmware you will sell.
Which commodity code should we use for a wallbox?
It depends on what the unit does. A wallbox that only switches and controls AC points towards heading 8537; one that converts to DC points towards 8504. Have your customs agent classify it from the circuit description.