Sourcing concrete mixer trucks from China

Concrete mixer truck duty and controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, concrete mixer trucks under 8705 40 00 00 carried 0% duty for goods from China. The snapshot lists no anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension. Heading 8705 covers special purpose motor vehicles. Only the mixer row describes this guide's product; the remaining rows are comparisons. See the wider special vehicle guide.

The tariff attaches fluorinated greenhouse gas and waste import controls. Pre-charged equipment includes vehicle air-conditioning, and equipment placed on the market must comply with product bans. Ask your customs broker to confirm refrigerant-related quota, labelling and declaration requirements. If a vehicle from China is waste subject to notification controls, dispatch, destination and transit authorities must consent before shipment. Confirm waste status and applicable requirements with your broker. The snapshot also lists waste export controls and cultural-object export licensing; confirm these before onward export.

Confirm the complete vehicle's function and specification using finding your commodity code. A mixer truck is distinct from a concrete pump truck and from a site mixer. Site concrete mixers fall under heading 8474 in the site's published guide. Do not select a vehicle code solely from the supplier's description.

Specify the chassis and working drum capacity

Specify chassis make, driving position, axle arrangement, gross weight and intended loaded axle weights. Distinguish the drum's geometric volume from its working mixing capacity. Agree drum and blade materials, hydraulic drive, mixing and discharge operation, water tank, wash-down equipment, chute reach and access for cleaning. Ask for drawings and a component list tied to the vehicle being supplied.

For road use in Great Britain, plan vehicle approval unless exempt and registration before ordering. Agree the applicable emissions, lighting and construction evidence with the builder. Request manuals in English, hydraulic diagrams, replacement seals and drive components, and a service arrangement. Check the builder's actual chassis and body assembly capability through factory verification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: A concrete mixer truck, illustrative order under 8705 40 00 00, invoiced at £185,000 free on board, with £9,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £194,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £194,500, so it is £38,900. 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

Identity: match chassis identification, engine details, drum assembly and component list to the order and approval documents.

Mixing and discharge: witness an agreed loaded demonstration; check rotation, reversal, discharge control, chute movement and retained material after emptying.

Structure and hydraulics: inspect drum welds, blades, rollers, mounting brackets, hoses and connections; check for rubbing, leaks and abnormal vibration.

Arrival and support: photograph transport damage and corrosion; check lights, mirrors, plates, manuals and spare parts before acceptance. Use the quality inspection guide to set the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A quoted drum volume can conceal a smaller working mixing capacity. A chassis change can alter axle loading or leave the approval evidence mismatched. Poor chute alignment, hydraulic leaks and inaccessible cleaning points can make discharge and maintenance difficult. Write acceptance checks into the order and repeat them on arrival.

Approval documents and parts support can be harder to resolve after shipment. Review the complete vehicle evidence before dispatch, rather than accepting a chassis brochure as the whole file. Agree who supplies replacement drive components, diagnoses hydraulic faults and supports the vehicle locally.

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.