Sourcing drones and aircraft from China

Zero duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, unmanned aircraft for remote-controlled flight carried 0% duty on goods from China across the weight bands up to 250 g, 250 g to 7 kg and 7 kg to 25 kg, including multi-rotors with an integrated camera. Crewed civil aircraft, such as helicopters and light aeroplanes, also carried 0% on the civil-use lines. No line carried an anti-dumping measure.

The tariff splits drones by maximum take-off weight, the same measure the CAA rules use, so the weight on the datasheet matters twice. Confirm the commodity code for each model.

UK class marks from 2026

The CAA says that any new model of drone or model aircraft placed on the market from 1 January 2026 must have a UK class mark, from UK0 to UK6. The class mark is the manufacturer's declaration that the model meets the UK requirements for its class, which include performance, geo-awareness, Remote ID and lights for the classes that need them. A drone with no UK or European class mark is a legacy aircraft.

For a reseller, that makes the class mark the first question to a Chinese factory: which UK class the model is marked for, and the evidence behind the declaration. A model built only for another market cannot simply be relabelled.

Registration for your customers

Weight and camera decide what the user must do. The CAA requires a Flyer ID for drones of 100 g to under 250 g, and an Operator ID as well if such a drone has a camera; UK1 to UK4 class drones need both. Under 100 g, no Flyer ID is required, though the CAA recommends it. Put the class and the user's obligations in the manual and on the box.

Drones are radio equipment and carry lithium batteries, so the radio test evidence and battery transport tests apply as for other wireless products, and an app-connected consumer drone may fall under the PSTI rules, depending on whether it meets the statutory connectivity definitions and is not an excepted product.

Worked duty example

Take a hypothetical order of 1,000 camera drones of 250 g to 7 kg, entered under 8806 22 10 00: £250,000 free on board plus £5,000 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £255,000. Camera drones carry no duty, so import VAT of 20% on £255,000, £51,000, is the only tax. A VAT-registered importer normally reclaims it, so the border adds no lasting cost. Drones with lithium batteries ship under dangerous goods rules, which the freight here assumes. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.

Inspection checklist

Radio: ask for radio test reports to ETSI EN 300 328 for 2.4 GHz and ETSI EN 301 893 for 5 GHz links, matching the transmitter power and firmware of the model shipped.

Batteries and chargers: ask for cell and pack safety reports to BS EN 62133-2, charger safety reports to BS EN 60335-2-29, and check battery labels and charger plugs on sampled kits.

Toy drones: where small drones are sold to children, check toy safety test reports to BS EN 71-1 and BS EN 71-2 and the age warning, and check small parts such as propeller guards cannot detach.

What goes wrong

Drones fail on the class mark, radio and batteries. Models arrive without the UK class mark or with a mark the manufacturer cannot support with evidence, remote identification is missing where the class requires it, and the radio operates on bands or power levels not permitted in the UK. Batteries swell or lose capacity, lack UN 38.3 test summaries so carriers refuse them, and firmware geofencing and return-to-home fail on test flights.

Ask for the UK class mark declaration and the supporting test evidence for the exact model and firmware, check remote identification and the label, ask for radio test reports for the UK frequency bands, check battery UN 38.3 summaries and cell sourcing, fly samples to test return-to-home, geofencing and flight time, and check the user manual covers Flyer ID and Operator ID rules.

Crewed aircraft

Crewed aircraft and their parts need airworthiness evidence that the UK recognises, and a part fitted to a type-certified aircraft needs a CAA Form 1; the gas turbine guide sets out that rule. Any crewed aircraft purchase starts with the certification and registration route, before the price. For the reverse trade route, see our guide to exporting aircraft components to China from the UK. For gyroplanes, see our gyroplane sourcing guide. For freight aircraft, see our cargo aircraft sourcing guide. For business jets, see our business jet sourcing guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources drones, drone components and aviation parts, with the class mark, radio and battery evidence, and for aviation the release documents, confirmed before the order. See how our sourcing service works.

Spare propellers, motors and airframe parts are covered in our drone and aircraft parts guide.