Sourcing antennas and display parts from China

Zero duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, telescopic and whip aerials, outside aerials for radio or television, other aerials and antennas, OLED modules and panels, electronic assemblies and other parts for the apparatus of headings 8524 to 8528 carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.

Complete monitors, televisions and phone screens have their own codes; confirm the commodity code for each part.

Matching and grading

Spare parts sell on exact fit. Get the part number, connector, dimensions and firmware compatibility for each model, and for panels ask for the grade, brightness, dead pixel allowance and whether stock is new or refurbished. Describe refurbished or pulled parts honestly. For e-paper panels, see our e-paper display module sourcing guide.

Antennas should come with gain, frequency band and VSWR figures, tested on samples.

Trademarks and compliance

Parts marked with another company's logo need its permission; the IP guide explains the risk. Parts are not UKCA marked on their own, but the repaired or finished product must still be safe, and electrical spares bring WEEE questions.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 10,000 outdoor 4G antennas, commodity code 8529 10 69 00, bought for £30,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance, so £31,800 is the value customs works from. No duty is due on antennas; import VAT at 20% of £31,800 is £6,360. If you are VAT-registered, that VAT is normally reclaimable. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

Inspection checklist

Antenna performance: gain and VSWR measured across the stated band on a network analyser for samples from each lot and compared with the supplier's plots, connector type and cable length checked, and outdoor units tested to the IP rating claimed under BS EN 60529.

Display panels: every panel or an agreed sample powered up and checked for dead or stuck pixels against the pixel fault class ordered under ISO 9241-307, and for brightness uniformity, lines and scratches, with part numbers and connectors matched to the target model.

Handling and compliance: panels and boards packed in static-shielding bags and handled at workstations run to IEC 61340-5-1, rigid packing checked with a drop test, and RoHS compliance evidence under the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012 confirmed for the parts supplied.

What goes wrong

Antennas and display parts fail on specification and handling. Antennas quoted with a gain figure that is not measured on the stated band, or with poor VSWR, give weak signal, and outdoor units let water into the connector or crack in UV. Display panels arrive with dead pixels, backlight bleed or the wrong connector revision, and refurbished or pulled panels are sometimes sold as new.

Ask for the antenna's measured gain and VSWR plots across the band, check connector type and cable length, spray-test outdoor units, and for panels power up every unit or an agreed sample to check pixels, uniformity and touch. Record serial numbers, and use anti-static, rigid packing.

Packing and inspection

Screens break in transit, so agree anti-static, rigid packing and a breakage allowance. At inspection, power up panels and check for dead pixels, lines and scratches.

Cambridge China Bridge sources antennas, display panels and spare parts, with fit, grading and packing settled before the order. See how our sourcing service works.