Brass and woodwind instruments from China
Wind instruments from China, including brass instruments such as trumpets and trombones, woodwinds such as saxophones, flutes and clarinets, accordions and harmonicas, pay 2% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. They are bought on intonation, valve and key action, pads and finish, so a playing test by a musician matters more than a data sheet.
Trumpets, trombones, saxophones, flutes, clarinets, accordions and harmonicas from China pay 2% UK duty. Playing tests, finish, pads and a worked example.
2% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, wind musical instruments, heading 9205, carried 2% on goods from China on every line: brass-wind instruments, accordions and similar instruments, mouth organs, keyboard pipe organs and harmoniums, and other wind instruments such as saxophones, flutes, clarinets and recorders. No line carried an anti-dumping measure.
Parts and accessories such as mouthpieces, reeds and cases are classified separately, and toy instruments for children as toys, so confirm the commodity code. Other instruments are covered in our acoustic guitars and violins guide and drums and percussion guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brass-wind instruments (trumpets, trombones, tubas) | 9205 10 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Accordions and similar instruments | 9205 90 10 00 | 2% | None |
| Mouth organs (harmonicas) | 9205 90 30 00 | 2% | None |
| Keyboard pipe organs and harmoniums | 9205 90 50 00 | 2% | None |
| Other wind instruments (saxophones, flutes, clarinets, recorders) | 9205 90 90 00 | 2% | None |
Safety and children's instruments
Instruments sold to consumers must be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, and mouthpieces, lacquers and platings should come with a supplier statement on restricted substances. Instruments designed or intended for children under 14 to play with are toys under the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, while student instruments for music lessons are not.
Specifying wind instruments
Specify key and pitch, body material and thickness, bore and bell size, finish (lacquer, silver or gold plating), valve or key mechanism, pad and spring material, mouthpiece and ligature, case, and whether the instrument is set up and play-tested before packing.
Worked duty example
For a made-up shipment of 600 student alto saxophones under 9205 90 90 00, add the £3,600 of freight and insurance to the £72,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £75,600. At 2%, duty on these saxophones is £1,512; import VAT of £15,422.40 is 20% of the value with duty added. Together that is £16,934.40, but a VAT-registered importer usually gets the VAT back. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
Inspection checklist
Playing test: have a musician play a sample of each model across the range for intonation, response and leaks, using a tuner.
Mechanism: check valves or keys move freely and quietly, pads seal, springs return evenly, and slides move smoothly.
Finish and packing: check lacquer or plating for bubbles, scratches and tarnish, and that each instrument is fixed in its case and cartoned against crushing.
What goes wrong
Wind instrument orders fail on set-up, pads and finish. Pads leak so low notes do not speak, valves stick, keywork is soft and bends, intonation is poor at the extremes, lacquer tarnishes, and cases are too weak for shipping.
Play-test samples, check the set-up on inspection, and approve cases. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources brass and woodwind instruments for UK music retailers and schools suppliers, and has no minimum order of its own; the factory's minimum per model applies. See small orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on saxophones from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, other wind instruments including saxophones (9205 90 90 00) carried 2% from China.
Are trumpets and harmonicas the same rate?
Yes. Brass-wind instruments and mouth organs also carried 2%.
Are children's recorders toys?
Only if designed or intended for children under 14 to play with; student instruments for lessons are not toys.
What is the most important check?
A playing test by a musician for intonation, response and leaking pads.