Sourcing agricultural hay rakes from China

Zero duty on hay rakes and their parts

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 8433 covers harvesting and haymaking machinery among other agricultural equipment. Complete hay rakes fall within other haymaking machinery, 8433 30 00 00; identifiable parts are listed under 8433 90 00 00. The table separates rake designs sharing the same tariff line.

Both lines carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measures and no suspensions listed. The complete-machine line carries waste import and export controls. Waste shipment controls apply only to waste. For equipment from China whose waste status is uncertain, the importer should confirm the attached control's requirements with their customs broker before shipment.

Confirm the commodity code using the machine's function and the description of any separately supplied parts. See the hay tedders guide for related haymaking machinery. The import duty and VAT guide explains the calculation. For baling equipment, see our square hay baler sourcing guide.

Specify the rake and tractor together

Specify rotary, wheel or belt construction, working width, windrow placement and adjustment, tine material and replacement method, ground-following arrangement, and the crop conditions for the acceptance trial. Agree the tractor attachment, required power, drive connection and hydraulic connections using the buyer's actual tractor specification.

Record transport width, folding sequence, locking arrangements, parking supports and packed dimensions. Agree spare tines, bearings and drive components by drawing or part reference. Machinery must satisfy its applicable essential health and safety requirements. Ask for the technical file arrangements, declaration of conformity, CE or UKCA marking and English operating instructions for the supplied configuration.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: One agricultural hay rake, illustrative only under 8433 30 00 00, invoiced at £8,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,200, so it is £1,840. 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

Attachment and drive: check hitch dimensions, drive connection and hydraulic fittings against the agreed tractor; inspect shaft guards and attachment security.

Tines and crop handling: check tine shape, fastening and clearance; run an agreed crop trial for windrow consistency, crop loss and unwanted soil pickup.

Folding and transport: cycle the folding mechanism, check locks engage fully, inspect hose routing and confirm the rake stands securely on its parking supports.

Arrival and documents: inspect bent arms, cracked welds, corrosion and leaking gearboxes; match the nameplate, declaration, instructions and spare parts to the delivered rake. Use the inspection guide to plan checks.

What goes wrong

A rake can fit the hitch yet foul the tractor during turns or folding. Incorrect tine clearance can leave crop behind or drag soil into the windrow. Loose tine fixings, rough bearings and leaking gearboxes may become apparent during a working trial.

Packing can bend exposed tine arms, while transport locks that seem secure when stationary may release under movement. Agree photographs of protected arms and locked folding sections before dispatch, then repeat the mechanical checks on arrival. Resolve documents that describe a different model before accepting the machine.

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. For the reverse trade, see exporting UK agricultural machinery to China.