Sourcing bottle capping machines from China

Zero duty on bottle capping machines

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, automatic bottle capping machines under 8422 30 00 00 and other machinery parts under 8422 90 90 00 carried 0% duty from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls for these lines.

Heading 8422 covers container cleaning, filling, closing, sealing, labelling and other packaging machinery, alongside dishwashers. The table separates capping applications sharing the same machine code. For the wider bottling equipment context, see bottle filling machines.

Confirm the commodity code against the machine's actual function and condition at import. Describe separately shipped parts individually rather than assuming every spare uses the machinery-parts code.

Specify the bottle, cap and capping method

Send production bottles and caps, with neck-finish drawings and closure material details. Specify screw, press-on or crown closures, bottle stability, cap feeding, conveyor direction and changeover arrangements. Agree the required output using your actual packaging, including how missing caps, tilted caps and fallen bottles will be handled.

For screw caps, agree application torque and an opening-torque acceptance method with the closure supplier. For press-on and crown closures, agree seating and leak checks. Specify site electrical and compressed-air connections, cleaning access, spare chucks, belts and guides.

Confirm the applicable conformity assessment, technical file, English instructions and guarding requirements for the packaging machinery with the relevant authority. CE marking remains recognised in Great Britain. Ask for documents matching the supplied model and configuration, rather than relying on a photograph of a mark. For food-handling machines, confirm the applicable food-contact and cleanability requirements with the relevant authority.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: An automatic bottle capping machine for a small bottling business, illustrative only under 8422 30 00 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £5,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £21,000, so it is £4,200. 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

Cap feeding: run the agreed bottle and cap combinations; check orientation, chute jams, missing-cap detection and recovery after a stoppage.

Closure quality: check seating, thread damage, tamper-band damage and bottle scuffing; measure agreed torque and inspect capped bottles for leaks.

Safety and documents: test guard interlocks and emergency stops; match the machine identification to its conformity documents and English manual.

Arrival and changeover: inspect transit damage, loose connections and supplied tooling; repeat the agreed production trial after installation and check settings for each bottle format.

What goes wrong

A demonstration with the factory's bottles can hide poor compatibility with yours. Caps can cross-thread, slip in the chuck or crush a lightweight bottle. Feeders can jam when closure dimensions vary, while excessive tightening can damage tamper bands. Record failures during a factory trial with production packaging and agree correction before shipment.

A machine that works alone can struggle beside the filler when conveyor speed, bottle spacing or stop signals do not match. Agree the interface and acceptance procedure before ordering, then repeat the checks on the installed line. Retain the accepted settings and identify wear parts by drawing or part reference.

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.