Sourcing airless paint sprayers from China

Duty on sprayers, guns and parts

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the selected lines under heading 8424 carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspensions. The heading covers mechanical spraying appliances, spray guns and parts. The parts code appears twice in the table to distinguish spray tips from other parts.

The tariff attaches fluorinated greenhouse gas import controls to the selected codes, and an ozone-depleting substance restriction to the parts code. It also flags a torture and repression goods export restriction on the appliance and gun codes. Confirm the applicable requirements and declaration documents with your customs broker. For onward exports, check whether the goods are controlled and require a licence.

Confirm the commodity code using the complete specification and whether the shipment contains a complete sprayer, separate gun or identifiable parts. Separately supplied hoses and other components may need their own classification. For the wider heading, see pressure washers and sprayers.

Specify the coating, pump and spray tip

State the coatings to be sprayed, their viscosity and permitted thinning, the pump design, working pressure, flow with the agreed tip fitted, and the largest supported tip. Specify the power supply, hose length and pressure rating, gun connection, filters, seals and cleaning method. Ask the factory to demonstrate the intended coating on a sample panel.

Powered sprayers need the relevant machinery conformity assessment and conformity marking. For Great Britain, confirm with the relevant authority the applicable declaration of conformity, CE or UKCA marking and English-instruction requirements for the supplied configuration, then obtain the required documents and marking. Match the documents to the model, motor and control system. Ask for electrical safety evidence and instructions covering pressure release, tip changes and cleaning.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 40 electric airless paint sprayers under 8424 89 70 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

Spray performance: check priming, pressure stability and an even fan using the agreed coating and tip. Record the coating preparation and machine settings.

Pressure circuit: check hose and gun ratings, connections, leaks, trigger lock, tip guard and pressure-release operation using a controlled test procedure.

Pump and spares: check seals, filters and pump components against the approved sample. Trial-fit replacement tips and service parts.

Documents and arrival: match the nameplate, marking, declaration and English manual to the delivered model. Check cartons, damaged fittings and accessory counts. Agree these checks in the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A water demonstration can hide poor performance with the buyer's coating. An oversized tip, blocked filter or inadequate pump output can produce an uneven fan and pressure loss. Incompatible seals may leak after cleaning, while poorly matched fittings make replacement guns or hoses difficult to use.

Keep the approved coating test, component list and spare-part drawings with the order. Investigate leaks, damaged hoses or a faulty trigger lock before running the machine. Resolve paperwork that identifies a different model before accepting the delivery.

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.