Sourcing CNC routers from China
CNC routers for wood, plastics and similar hard materials fall under heading 8465, and all 12 lines carry 2% UK duty from China with no anti-dumping duty. A router with an automatic tool changer may be a machining centre (8465 20), a single-spindle router 8465 92. Check the declaration of conformity, test the actual machine before the balance and agree commissioning.
CNC routers for wood and plastics from China pay 2% UK duty on all 12 lines of heading 8465. Classification, machinery safety, inspection and commissioning.
2% duty on every line of heading 8465
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 8465 covers machine tools for working wood, cork, bone, hard rubber, hard plastics or similar hard materials. All 12 lines carried 2% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure, no registration requirement and no tariff suspension.
Which line applies depends on the machine. A router that changes tools automatically from a magazine may be classed as a machining centre under 8465 20 00 00; a single-spindle router is usually a milling machine under 8465 92 00 00. Both are 2%, but confirm the commodity code from the specification. A router built mainly for metal falls outside 8465; see our drilling and milling guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machines doing different operations without tool change, manual transfer between operations | 8465 10 10 00 | 2% | None |
| Machines doing different operations without tool change, automatic transfer | 8465 10 90 00 | 2% | None |
| Machining centres (for example a router with an automatic tool changer) | 8465 20 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Bandsaws | 8465 91 10 00 | 2% | None |
| Circular saws | 8465 91 20 00 | 2% | None |
| Other sawing machines | 8465 91 90 00 | 2% | None |
| Planing, milling or moulding (by cutting) machines, including single-spindle routers | 8465 92 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Grinding, sanding or polishing machines | 8465 93 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Bending or assembling machines | 8465 94 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Drilling or mortising machines | 8465 95 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Splitting, slicing or paring machines | 8465 96 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Other | 8465 99 00 00 | 2% | None |
Machinery safety and the documents to ask for
A CNC router placed on the GB market must meet the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, with a technical file, a declaration of conformity and UKCA or CE marking. Ask for the declaration of conformity for the exact configuration you are buying, not a generic CE certificate, together with the English manual, the electrical schematic and the nameplate details.
Electrical equipment should be built to BS EN 60204-1, and the machine must meet the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016. Once it is installed, the employer must comply with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and wood dust needs extraction under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. Our woodworking machines guide covers the wider category.
Specifying a CNC router
Specify the working area, gantry and Z travel, spindle power and type, whether it has an automatic tool changer and how many tools, any rotary axis, the vacuum table zones and pump, the controller brand and whether its software is in English, the drive motors, the guide rails and rack or ballscrew, the supply voltage, phase and frequency, the dust hood, and the accessories and spares included.
Name the spindle, controller and drive makers in the contract, because these are the parts most often substituted after the price is agreed.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: one single-spindle CNC router for wood and plastics under 8465 92 00 00, invoiced at £8,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,200. Duty at 2% is £184. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,384, so it is £1,876.80. Import taxes total £2,060.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £184 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection before the balance
Inspect the actual machine that will ship, before the balance: power it up, check the controller and software language, run each axis including any rotary axis, check the spindle, cycle the tool changer repeatedly, test the limit switches and emergency stops, and cut a test piece in your material. Then check the accessories, the documents and the packing against the packing list. Our quality inspection guide covers the stages.
Export rules, freight and commissioning
China's customs rules for machine tools from 30 June 2026 ask exporters for fuller declarations; see China's export rules for machine tools. A packed router is bulky, so compare shared-container and 20ft container prices and check the UK-side charges on a CIF quote; see cheap CIF quotes.
Agree installation, commissioning and training with the supplier before ordering, in writing; see installing and commissioning Chinese machinery in the UK.
What goes wrong
CNC router orders fail on substituted components, controllers with Chinese-only menus, tool changers that jam in continuous running, vacuum tables that do not hold small parts, wiring for the wrong supply, and conformity paperwork that does not match the machine delivered.
If you already have a quote for a CNC router, we can check it before you pay, with a free preliminary review. Cambridge China Bridge can also verify the maker and inspect the machine before shipment; see factory verification.
For the whole purchase, from checking the quote to UK customs, see our machinery and equipment service.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on a CNC router from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, all 12 lines of heading 8465 carried 2% from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
Is a CNC router with a tool changer a machining centre for customs?
It may be classed under 8465 20 00 00 as a machining centre; a single-spindle router is usually 8465 92 00 00. Both are 2%.
Is a CE certificate enough for a CNC router?
No. Ask for the declaration of conformity for the exact configuration, the English manual, the electrical schematic and nameplate details.
Do China's new machine tool export rules affect CNC routers?
The rules cover lathes, milling and grinding machines and equipment with similar functions, so ask the exporter how it will declare your router and allow extra time.