Sourcing aggregate washing plants from China

Duty on washing machines and their parts

Heading 8474 covers machinery for processing solid mineral substances, including aggregate washing, screening and separating machines. Washing machines and associated screening machines share code 8474 10 00 00; the table separates these buying categories. Parts have separate lines according to their construction.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 October 2026, every line supplied for this heading carries 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied data records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls. This tariff position does not establish machinery safety compliance.

Confirm the commodity code against the equipment list and shipment configuration, especially where pumps, conveyors or water-treatment equipment are quoted separately. See aggregate vibrating screens for related machinery within the wider heading.

Specify clay removal, sand recovery and water use

Describe the feed grading, clay content, abrasive material and required saleable fractions. Agree whether the process needs a log washer, sand screw, washing screen or cyclone circuit. Request a process diagram showing feed points, recovered sand, oversize, sludge and recycled water. Define acceptance using material representative of your feed.

Specify throughput, fines recovery, product moisture, fresh-water demand and power supply. Identify the included pumps, tanks, pipework, controls and foundations, and agree who installs and commissions the complete plant. Record liner and paddle materials, screen apertures, bearing specifications and the replacement-parts list.

Complete new machinery placed on the Great Britain market must have UKCA or CE marking, a declaration of conformity and English instructions. In England, discharge of wash water to surface water or the ground may need an environmental permit. Settle the intended water circuit and discharge route before ordering.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: A compact aggregate washing machine for a small aggregate business, illustrative only under 8474 10 00 00, invoiced at £32,000 free on board, with £6,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £38,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £38,000, so it is £7,600. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Material trial: run representative aggregate and record feed throughput, clay removal, recovered grading, sand losses and product moisture. Check the agreed water balance during the same trial.

Wear and structure: compare liners, paddles, screen media, shafts, bearings and gearboxes with the order. Inspect welds, tank seams, seals and access for replacing worn components.

Safety and documents: check guards, emergency stops, isolation points and lifting points. Match the machinery identification to its marking, declaration of conformity and English operating and maintenance instructions.

Arrival and assembly: reconcile modules, pipework, cables and spares against the packing list. Inspect transport damage, flange alignment and water leaks before commissioning, and retain the factory trial record for comparison.

What goes wrong

A demonstration with clean sand can conceal weak clay removal and losses of saleable fines. Undersized water circuits, unsuitable screen media or poorly matched pumps can limit output. Make the trial material and acceptance measurements part of the purchase specification.

Missing pipework, incompatible control connections and inaccessible wear parts can delay assembly or maintenance. Agree the supply boundary and installation drawings before shipment, and arrange factory verification to check the proposed manufacturer's equipment and testing capability.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For machinery and equipment, see machinery imports.