Sourcing CPR training manikins from China

Duty on CPR training manikins

Heading 9023 covers instruments, apparatus and models designed for demonstration, including education, and unsuitable for other uses. For CPR training manikins, consider the other-models line, 9023 00 80 00, subject to confirmation from the complete specification. The table shows product variants sharing that candidate code, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, both supplied heading lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied data lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls. Import VAT is normally 20%; zero customs duty does not mean zero import VAT.

Confirm the commodity code using the intended use, construction and any electronic features. See the wider teaching models guide for the heading beyond CPR training manikins.

Specify chest action, airway and cleaning

Specify adult, child or infant anatomy, torso or full-body construction, chest resistance and recoil, airway opening, visible chest rise and replaceable airway components. Ask the trainer who will use the manikin to approve a sample. Agree the compression and ventilation feedback expected by your training programme without accepting an unexplained supplier claim of accuracy.

Define face removal, lung-bag replacement, cleaning products and drying instructions. Agree the supply of replacement skins, airways and chest mechanisms. If electronic feedback is included, specify the power supply, display language and operation without an internet connection.

For products intended or reasonably likely to be used by consumers in Great Britain, the General Product Safety Regulations apply. This includes products made available to consumers during a service. Covered importers must ensure safety and provide relevant risk information. For soft PVC components, confirm any applicable REACH phthalate restrictions with the relevant authority; arrange material checks through testing and certification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 200 CPR training manikins under 9023 00 80 00, invoiced at £10,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £10,900. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £10,900, so it is £2,180. 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

Chest: compare resistance, recoil and feedback with the approved sample; check for sticking, loose mechanisms and skin splitting.

Airway: fit the supplied airway parts, open the airway and ventilate; check chest rise, leaks and replacement-part fit.

Cleaning: follow the proposed cleaning and drying instructions on a sample; inspect surfaces, seams and removable faces afterwards.

Delivery: check model identity, spare components, English instructions and carton damage. For covered consumer products, traceability information must identify the producer and product or batch on the product or packaging where reasonable.

What goes wrong

A manikin can look correct while teaching poorly: chest resistance differs from the sample, recoil sticks, the feedback disagrees with the mechanism, or ventilation leaks without visible chest rise. Put functional acceptance checks in the purchase specification and repeat them on arrival.

Replacement lung bags or faces may not fit later batches, and cleaning can damage skin or trap moisture inside the torso. Approve spare-part compatibility and cleaning instructions before production, then use quality inspection to compare shipment samples with the agreed model.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For components and parts, see sourcing for manufacturers.