Marine and hiking compasses from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 9014 covers direction-finding compasses and other navigational instruments and appliances. All 6 lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure: compasses for civil aircraft and other compasses, inertial navigation systems and other aeronautical or space navigation instruments, other instruments and appliances, and parts and accessories.

Radio navigation receivers such as GPS units are heading 8526 (see our GPS and radar guide), and binoculars are 9005 (see our binoculars guide), so confirm the commodity code.

Marine equipment and product safety

The Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2025 define marine equipment as equipment listed in Annexes 1, 2 or 3 of Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1874. If you sell compasses or other navigation equipment for ships those Regulations cover, check whether the item is listed there and what conformity it needs before ordering.

Hiking and leisure compasses sold to consumers must be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. For marine magnetic compasses, ISO 25862 is the international standard for compasses, binnacles and azimuth reading devices, so ask which clauses the factory tests to.

Specifying compasses

Specify type (bulkhead, binnacle, handheld, baseplate or lensatic), card diameter and graduations, damping fluid and bubble-free filling, accuracy and settling time, lighting and power, mounting and compensation adjusters, housing material and UV resistance, and packing.

Worked duty example

For a made-up shipment of 500 bulkhead-mounted marine compasses under 9014 10 00 90, add the £1,500 of freight and insurance to the £21,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £22,500. Duty on marine compasses is zero, leaving import VAT of £4,500, 20% of the customs value. For a VAT-registered buyer that is a cash-flow cost rather than a lasting one. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.

Inspection checklist

Accuracy: check heading against a reference at several points, settling time after a disturbance, and free rotation of the card.

Fluid and seals: check for bubbles and leaks after a temperature cycle, and for clouding of the dome.

Build: check lighting, scale printing, baseplate markings and lanyards on hiking compasses, and packaging.

What goes wrong

Compass orders fail on accuracy, bubbles and materials. Cards stick or read off heading, bubbles form in the fluid in cold or heat, domes yellow in sunlight, and magnets lose strength.

Test samples through a temperature cycle and check accuracy before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources compasses and navigation instruments for UK chandlers, outdoor brands and distributors, checking the maker's test equipment first. See factory verification.