Sourcing cabinet cam locks from China

Cabinet cam lock duty and classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 9 October 2026, heading 8301 covers base-metal locks, locking clasps, parts and keys. Furniture-type cabinet cam locks fall within the furniture-lock description. The selected lines all carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control in the supplied tariff record.

Elsewhere in the heading, locking clasps and frames have torture and repression import prohibitions and export restrictions attached. The specialised keyboard-parts line has a supplementary-unit import measure. These are separate from the selected cabinet-lock lines; an importer considering those goods should confirm the applicable requirement with their customs broker.

Confirm the commodity code from the intended application and whether the shipment contains complete locks, parts or separate keys. The wider locks guide covers other lock families. For window locks, see our guide to sourcing espagnolette window locks.

Specify the panel fit, cam and keying

Send a drawing of the cabinet panel and closing arrangement. Specify the mounting-hole shape, panel thickness, barrel length, fixing method, cam length, offset and thickness. Agree the rotation direction, locked position and positions in which the key can be removed. Include body material, cam material, finish and supplied fixings.

Choose keyed-alike, keyed-different or master-keyed operation and confirm the key plan in writing. Agree the keys supplied with each lock and the replacement-key arrangements. Approve a sample fitted to the actual cabinet, rather than assessing the loose lock alone.

For locks intended for or foreseeably used by consumers in Great Britain, the General Product Safety Regulations apply: the product must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Include checks for sharp cam edges, loose components and foreseeable misuse in the sample assessment.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative batch of mechanical cabinet cam locks for a furniture business under 8301 30 00 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £810 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,310. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,310, so it is £662. 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

Fit: measure the barrel, mounting profile and cam against the approved drawing; install sampled locks in a representative panel and check the fixing stays tight.

Operation: turn supplied keys through the agreed movement; check that the cam clears the cabinet, engages the keeper and releases without binding.

Keying: test the agreed key groups against the written plan, including unintended cross-opening between locks sold as keyed-different.

Materials and packing: compare body and cam materials with the approved specification; check burrs, plating, fixings and that keys remain matched to their locks. Use the inspection guide to organise the checks.

What goes wrong

A lock can turn freely on the bench yet bind after installation because the barrel is too short, the fixing distorts the panel or the cam offset is wrong. A thinner replacement cam can also bend and fail to hold the door closed. Keep an assembled cabinet sample as the acceptance reference.

Mixed key codes and incorrect carton labels can defeat the agreed keying plan. Check production locks and packed sets before dispatch, then repeat fit and key checks on arrival before releasing the batch.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.