Sourcing bicycle cassette sprockets from China
The relevant cassette lines carry 4% UK duty from China; the separate free-wheel line can add 48.50% anti-dumping duty. Confirm construction and manufacturing use before choosing the code. Consumer products sold in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Cambridge China Bridge sources bicycle cassette sprockets.
UK duty depends on cassette construction
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 8714 covers vehicle parts and accessories, including bicycle cassette sprockets. Code 8714 93 00 20 describes gear sets without a pawl mechanism for bicycle manufacture: 7 to 12 sprockets, 10 to 52 teeth per sprocket and weight from 200 g to 800 g, with nickel-plated steel or aluminium sprockets and plastic or aluminium spacers. Its duty is 4%, with no listed trade remedy or suspension.
The other line 8714 93 00 90 also carries 4%, without a listed trade remedy or suspension. Separate free-wheel sprocket-wheels under 8714 93 00 19 carry 4% plus residual anti-dumping duty of 48.50%. Its listed suspension describes hubs, so do not assume it covers cassettes. Complete wheels are a separate comparison, rather than a cassette code. The tariff attaches a cultural-object export licence control; official guidance states that importing cultural objects into Great Britain has no licensing requirement.
Ask your customs broker to match the construction, materials, weight and intended use to the full commodity description, and confirm the attached control for your shipment. Do not select the manufacturing-use line solely because the product is called a cassette. For the wider heading, see bicycle derailleurs.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cassette gear sets meeting the listed construction and bicycle manufacture description | 8714 93 00 20 | 4% | None |
| Other goods in the hubs and free-wheel sprocket-wheels subheading | 8714 93 00 90 | 4% | None |
| Other free-wheel sprocket-wheels, for comparison with cassette gear sets | 8714 93 00 19 | 4% | 48.50% residual anti-dumping |
| Other complete wheels, including wheels supplied with sprockets | 8714 99 90 19 | 4% | 48.50% residual anti-dumping |
Specify the cassette and the drivetrain together
Write down the sprocket count, tooth sequence, freehub spline interface, chain compatibility and intended derailleur combination. Specify stack width, spacer arrangement, lockring and whether any fitting spacer is included. Approve a sample on the actual hub and drivetrain you intend to support.
Fix sprocket materials, heat treatment, coating, carrier construction and the approved tooth profiles. Ask for drawings and test records covering tooth strength, carrier attachment and shifting under load. Consumer products sold in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use; a sample that fits the hub does not establish durability.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 200 cassette gear sets meeting the commodity description under 8714 93 00 20, invoiced at £1,500 free on board, with £200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £1,700. Duty at 4% is £68. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £1,768, so it is £353.60. Import taxes total £421.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £68 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Identity: compare sprocket count, tooth sequence, materials and package contents with the order and approved sample.
Fit: mount sampled cassettes on the intended freehub, check seating and spacer order, and inspect lockring engagement and lateral movement.
Shifting: use the intended chain and derailleur to check engagement across the sprockets, watching for skipping, rubbing and inconsistent shifts.
Condition and records: inspect burrs, bent teeth, coating damage and corrosion. Match carton labels to the contents and retain supplier records so origins can be traced. Use the inspection guide to organise the checks.
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What goes wrong
A cassette can slide onto a freehub yet leave the lockring unable to clamp the stack. Wrong spacers, a mismatched chain or altered tooth profiles can produce poor shifting and skipping. Keep the approved assembly as a reference and quarantine mismatched stock for investigation.
Customs problems start when a supplier uses the same description for cassette gear sets, threaded freewheels and complete wheels. Ask for photographs and a construction drawing before agreeing the declaration. Check the manufacturing-use wording rather than carrying a sample's classification over to every later order.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on bicycle cassette sprockets from China?
The listed cassette gear-set line 8714 93 00 20 carries 4%, with no listed anti-dumping duty. The separate free-wheel line 8714 93 00 19 carries 4% plus residual anti-dumping duty of 48.50%. Confirm the exact construction.
Can I use the cassette manufacturing code for replacement stock?
Do not assume so. Its description specifies use in bicycle manufacture as well as construction, materials and dimensions. Ask your customs broker to classify the actual goods and intended use.
How do I check cassette compatibility before ordering?
Approve a sample on your intended freehub, chain and derailleur. Check spline fit, spacer order, lockring engagement and shifting across the full tooth sequence.
What records should I keep for imported cassettes?
Keep records identifying your suppliers so product origins can be traced. Also retain the approved specification, sample references, test records and inspection results against each production batch.