Commercial fridges and display freezers from China

0% duty, and a code that depends on the refrigerant

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, every line of heading 8418 in the table below carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping duty. The UK tariff splits most lines by whether the equipment is pre-charged with hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), so the same display freezer has one 10-digit code if it ships charged with an HFC refrigerant and another if it uses a hydrocarbon such as R290 or is shipped uncharged. Both are 0%, but the declaration must use the right one.

Display cabinets, counters and bottle coolers are refrigerated furniture under 8418 50; chest freezers are 8418 30 and upright freezers 8418 40; condensing units and chillers usually 8418 69. Commercial kitchens are covered in catering equipment. Confirm the commodity code from the specification and the refrigerant on the nameplate.

The HFC ban and the F-gas declaration

Annex III of Regulation (EU) No 517/2014, as it applies in Great Britain, prohibits placing on the market refrigerators and freezers for commercial use that are hermetically sealed and contain HFCs with a global warming potential of 150 or more, from 1 January 2022. In practice a plug-in display fridge or freezer sold in Great Britain now needs a low-GWP refrigerant, usually R290 (propane) or R600a. The same Annex bans multipack centralised systems of 40 kW or more with F-gases of GWP 150 or more, and stationary refrigeration with GWP 2,500 or more.

The UK Trade Tariff applies F-gas and ozone-depleting substance import controls to these lines, so the declaration needs document codes stating that the goods are not concerned by the prohibition and whether they are labelled under Article 12. Ask the factory for the refrigerant type and charge on the nameplate, and tell your customs broker before the goods arrive. Equipment using flammable hydrocarbon refrigerants must also be built to the relevant safety standard, BS EN 60335-2-89 for commercial refrigerating appliances with an incorporated unit.

Energy labels and efficiency

Mains-operated refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function, such as display cabinets, bottle coolers, ice cream freezers and vending machines, must meet the ecodesign requirements of Regulation (EU) 2019/2024 and carry the energy label under Regulation (EU) 2019/2018, both as they apply in Great Britain. Back-of-house professional storage cabinets, blast cabinets and condensing units fall under Regulation (EU) 2015/1095 instead.

Ask for the energy test report and the product information for the exact model, and check that the label and the efficiency class match the report. The appliances are also electrical equipment under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, needing a declaration of conformity and UKCA or CE marking.

What to check before shipment

Run sample units to temperature and record pull-down time and holding temperature with the doors closed and after openings, check the refrigerant and charge on the nameplate, the compressor make, the thermostat and controller, door seals, glass, lights and castors, and the plug and fuse. Check that the energy label and the rating plate match the documents.

Refrigerated cabinets are bulky, so the container load plan decides the landed cost; ask for the carton size and the number per 40ft high cube before you compare prices. Quality inspection covers the stages.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 40 R290 display freezers for frozen food under 8418 50 11 90, invoiced at £28,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £32,000. Duty at 0% is nil. Import VAT at 20% is £6,400, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Related guides and how we help

For related products see catering equipment, air conditioners and heat pumps and air compressors.

Cambridge China Bridge checks refrigeration makers in China, matches the test reports and refrigerant to the product and inspects before shipment; see our service for retailers, container programmes and factory verification.