Sourcing cylindrical roller bearings from China

Bearing duty and separate parts

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 8482 covers ball or roller bearings. Cylindrical roller bearings, including cage and roller assemblies, normally carry 8% duty from China. The selected loose-roller line carries 6%, while the listed unfinished steel rings carry 8%. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty is recorded for these selected lines.

The other cylindrical-bearing line has a 0% authorised-use suspension restricted to bearings meeting the listed specifications for machinery protecting and controlling nuclear reactors. It is subject to customs supervision, rather than a general discount for industrial bearings. The listed axial-bearing line has a supplementary-unit import entry: ask your broker to confirm the unit and declare the required quantity.

Confirm the commodity code using the drawing, bearing construction and whether the shipment contains complete bearings, assemblies or separate parts. The axial-bearing and unfinished-ring lines require their exact listed specifications. For another bearing family within this heading, see spherical roller bearings.

Specify the ring arrangement and clearance

Supply the bearing designation and a drawing showing bore, outside diameter, width, ring ribs and any separable ring. Agree which ring locates the shaft and whether axial movement is needed. A bearing with matching outside dimensions can still have the wrong internal arrangement for the application.

Specify tolerance class, radial internal clearance, cage material, roller construction, lubrication and operating conditions. Ask for steel and heat-treatment records tied to the production batch. For articles supplied for use at work, safety so far as reasonably practicable and adequate information for safe use are required. Obtain application and fitting information alongside the inspection records.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 40 cylindrical roller bearings for machinery maintenance, illustrative only under 8482 50 00 90, invoiced at £3,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,500. Duty at 8% is £360. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £4,860, so it is £972. Import taxes total £1,332; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £360 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Dimensions and clearance: measure bore, outside diameter, width and radial clearance against the approved drawing and ordered tolerance class.

Rings and rollers: check rib arrangement, separable components, roller surfaces and raceways for scoring, dents, corrosion and contamination.

Steel and running: match material and hardness records to the batch, check cage condition and test rotation under agreed conditions.

Marking and packing: verify designation, batch identity and branded-product authenticity; inspect rust protection and individual packing again on arrival. Agree checks through the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A substitution can fit the housing but have different ribs, clearance or cage construction. Wrong clearance can cause heat and noise; poor heat treatment or contaminated raceways can lead to early surface damage. Approve the internal arrangement as well as the dimensions, and compare the shipment with the approved sample.

Separable rings can become mixed during packing or installation, and damaged moisture protection can leave corrosion on arrival. Keep matched components together and retain batch records. Confirm any trade mark concerns about branded bearings with the relevant authority, and verify authenticity rather than accepting a familiar logo as proof.

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.