Sourcing CNC turret punch presses from China

Zero duty, with classification checked by design

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the selected heading 8462 lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls for these lines.

Heading 8462 covers metalworking machinery including punching machines and cold metal presses. The table gives classification candidates, not interchangeable codes: the punching-machine line expressly excludes presses, while the cold-press lines distinguish hydraulic, mechanical and servo designs. Give your broker the operating description, drive arrangement and loading method to confirm the commodity code.

For related equipment, see press brakes and metal-forming machines. The order values in the worked example are illustrative; see UK import duty and VAT for the calculation method.

Specify the turret, tooling and sheet programme

Specify sheet material and thickness, usable sheet size, punching force, turret tooling system, station layout and indexing capability. Identify the punches and dies included, required die clearances, forming operations, clamp positions and areas the machine cannot reach without repositioning.

Agree a factory acceptance programme using your own drawings and material. Include repeated holes, indexed shapes, sheet repositioning and forming tools where required. Record hole size, position, burrs and sheet distortion against agreed tolerances. Confirm controller language, programming licences, power supply, compressed-air needs, installation arrangements and spare tooling.

For Great Britain, machinery compliance includes essential health and safety requirements, conformity assessment, a declaration of conformity and the relevant conformity marking. Ask the supplier to identify the assessment route for the exact model. For manually loaded or unloaded cold metal presses, confirm the applicable assessment route with the relevant authority.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Two CNC turret punching machines, illustrative order under 8462 42 00 00, invoiced at £56,000 free on board, with £4,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £60,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £60,500, so it is £12,100. 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

Tooling: check turret alignment, indexing, punch and die identification, clearances and the supplied tooling inventory.

Accuracy: run the agreed programme and measure repeated holes, repositioned features, burrs and distortion using the specified material.

Safety and documents: have a competent person check guards, interlocks and emergency stopping; match the machine identity to its declaration and conformity marking.

Arrival: check corrosion, transit damage, loose connections and missing accessories; repeat the acceptance programme after installation. Arrange quality inspection around these checks.

What goes wrong

Wrong die clearance can leave heavy burrs or damage tooling. Turret misalignment can cause tool strikes, while clamp slip or poor repositioning can shift hole patterns. A demonstration using easy material may conceal problems on your actual sheet specification.

A controller can arrive without usable programming access, and supplied tools may not match locally available replacements. Put software access, tooling compatibility, acceptance records and corrective work into the purchase specification. Check conformity documentation before dispatch, rather than leaving it until installation.

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.