Sourcing air compressors from China

2% duty on air compressors from China

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 28 September 2026, air compressors under heading 8414 carried 2% on goods from China on every line in the table below, with no anti-dumping duty. The only tariff suspension we found, on 8414 80 80 90, is limited to a small membrane compressor used to make motor vehicle seats, so it does not apply to workshop or industrial compressors.

The line depends on how the machine compresses air and how much it delivers. Piston compressors are split by pressure (up to or over 15 bar) and by flow per hour, screw compressors sit under 8414 80 75, and towable site compressors on a wheeled chassis under 8414 40. Confirm the commodity code from the specification sheet. Refrigeration compressors for fridges and air conditioning are classified separately under 8414 30 and are not covered here; see air conditioners and heat pumps.

Machinery, pressure vessel and noise rules

A compressor placed on the GB market is machinery under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, so it needs a technical file, a declaration of conformity and UKCA or CE marking. Ask for the declaration for the exact model and voltage you are buying, the English manual and the nameplate details; our CE and UKCA guide sets out what the factory should give you.

The air receiver needs its own paperwork. A welded steel or aluminium vessel for air or nitrogen, above 0.5 bar, with a maximum working pressure not over 30 bar and pressure times volume not over 10,000 bar-litres, is a simple pressure vessel under the Simple Pressure Vessels (Safety) Regulations 2016. A receiver outside that definition may fall under the Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. Ask for the vessel's own certificate and check the markings on the tank.

Compressors under 350 kW for outdoor use, such as site compressors that drive breakers and other air tools, are listed in Schedule 1 of the Noise Emission in the Environment by Equipment for use Outdoors Regulations 2001. Their guaranteed sound power level must not exceed the permissible level in the Regulations and must be marked on the machine.

What your customer has to do once it is running

A compressor and receiver used at work form a pressure system. Under regulation 8 of the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000, the user must not operate it without a written scheme for periodic examination by a competent person, covering the protective devices and any vessel or pipework whose failure could be dangerous. If you sell compressors to UK workshops, a clear manual, the receiver certificate and the safety valve setting make that scheme easier to draw up, and buyers ask for them.

Specifying the compressor

Specify the type (piston, screw or scroll), free air delivery at working pressure, maximum pressure, motor power, supply voltage, phase and frequency, receiver volume and material, whether it has a dryer and filters, oil-free or oil-lubricated, duty cycle, noise level, controller and display language, and the spares included.

Name the air end, motor and controller makers in the contract, and ask for the free air delivery figure at a stated pressure. A headline figure measured at the inlet, or at a lower pressure, is the most common way a small compressor is oversold.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: one rotary screw compressor under 8414 80 75 90, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,900. Duty at 2% is £138. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,038, so it is £1,407.60. Import taxes total £1,545.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £138 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection, freight and commissioning

Inspect the machines that will ship, before the balance: run each one to working pressure, time the fill of the receiver, check that the safety valve lifts at its set pressure, check for oil and air leaks, check the controller, the emergency stop and the wiring against your supply, and compare the nameplate, the receiver markings and the documents with the order. Our quality inspection guide covers the stages.

Screw compressors are heavy and should travel crated and fixed to a pallet; compare shared-container and full-container prices and check the UK-side charges on a CIF quote, as in cheap CIF quotes. Agree installation and commissioning in writing before ordering; see installing and commissioning Chinese machinery in the UK. For generators and the wider category, see generators and machinery and industrial equipment.

If you already have a compressor quote, we can check it before you pay. For the whole purchase, from checking the factory to UK customs, see our machinery and equipment service.

For UK manufacturers buying machinery or components to drawing, see our service for manufacturers, or send a procurement brief.