Sourcing cranes from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, ships' derricks, cranes including cable cranes, mobile lifting frames, straddle carriers and works trucks fitted with a crane, heading 8426, carried 0% on goods from China on all eleven lines, with no anti-dumping measure.

Hoists, winches and jacks are in heading 8425 (see our hoists and winches guide), and parts of cranes are in 8431. Confirm the commodity code from the crane type and whether it is self-propelled or vehicle-mounted.

Machinery and lifting rules

A crane placed on the UK market must meet the essential health and safety requirements of the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, with a declaration of conformity, marking and instructions in English. Type standards include BS EN 15011 for bridge and gantry cranes, BS EN 14439 for tower cranes, BS EN 13000 for mobile cranes and BS EN 12999 for loader cranes.

Once in use, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 require the user to have lifting equipment thoroughly examined before first use where safety depends on installation, and at intervals after that, so the installer and a competent examiner have to be arranged in the UK.

Specifying a crane

Specify safe working load, span or jib length, lifting height, duty classification, hoist type and speeds, long and cross travel speeds, runway rail or foundation details, controls (pendant or radio), power supply and voltage, working environment, and the limiters and indicators required. For tower and mobile cranes, add the load chart and wind limits.

Worked duty example

For a made-up shipment of 4 single-girder overhead travelling cranes with hoists under 8426 11 00 00, add the £5,000 of freight and insurance to the £48,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £53,000. Duty on overhead cranes is zero, leaving import VAT of £10,600, 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

Load testing: witness static and dynamic overload tests at the factory with test weights, and check limit switches, overload protection and brakes act as designed.

Structure and welds: ask for welding procedure qualifications to ISO 15614-1 and welder qualifications to ISO 9606-1, and check main girder or boom welds by the non-destructive tests named in the drawings.

Electrics and documents: check the control panel against BS EN 60204-32 for hoisting machines, test every emergency stop, and check the declaration of conformity, load chart, English manual and spares list before crating.

What goes wrong

Cranes fail on structure, controls and paperwork. Girders or booms are welded without qualified procedures, limit switches and overload devices are missing or not wired in, the voltage or control system does not suit the UK site, and the declaration and technical file do not cover the crane delivered, so it cannot be put into service.

Agree the design standard and tests before production, witness load tests, and plan UK installation and thorough examination before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources overhead, gantry and jib cranes for UK workshops, warehouses and contractors, checking the builder's welding and testing capability before an order. See factory verification.