Sourcing e-bikes from China: the duty that applies

Foldable or not decides the duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, pedal-assisted cycles with an auxiliary electric motor carried 6% duty on goods from China. The same codes carry a definitive anti-dumping duty and a countervailing duty on China, and the rate depends on the producer: exporters not named in the measure pay 62.1% anti-dumping and 17.2% countervailing duty on top of the 6%, while named producers have lower company rates that apply only when the commercial invoice carries a signed declaration.

The largest change is the exemption. From 7 February 2025 the tariff exempts electric bicycles that are not foldable from both the anti-dumping and the countervailing duty, under Trade Remedies notices 2025/3 and 2025/4. A standard e-bike and a folding e-bike from the same factory can therefore land at very different costs. Check the exact model with the anti-dumping duty checker before you quote.

What makes it a bicycle in the UK

The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983, as amended from 6 April 2015, set the line: the vehicle must have pedals that can propel it, a motor with a maximum continuous rated power not exceeding 250 watts, and assistance that stops when the cycle is travelling at more than 15.5 miles per hour. A machine that meets them is treated as a pedal cycle; one with a stronger motor or a higher cut-off is a motor vehicle, with approval, registration and insurance to match. A throttle that drives it without pedalling requires vehicle approval but does not by itself prevent it being treated as a pedal cycle. For kick scooter sourcing, see our electric kick scooters guide. For moped sourcing, see our electric moped sourcing guide. For petrol models, see our petrol motorcycle sourcing guide. For quad models, see our petrol passenger quad bike sourcing guide. For speedway bikes, see our petrol speedway motorcycle sourcing guide.

Chinese factories build to several markets, so state the UK limits in the product specification and test the cut-off speed on production samples. The bicycle parts guide covers components, and the cycle helmet guide a common add-on.

Batteries and safety

The battery pack is the most important component for safety and the most expensive to get wrong. Ask for the cell maker and model, the battery management system, the charger's compatibility with that pack, and the transport test summary, because e-bike batteries ship as dangerous goods. Test charging and a full discharge on samples, and check the cells at inspection against the approved specification.

Frames, brakes and wheels carry more load than on an ordinary bicycle, so ask for test reports on the frame and brakes for the model, and check torque settings and brake adjustment on assembled bikes before they are packed.

Worked duty example

An invented example: 500 folding e-bikes under 8711 60 10 00 from an exporter not named in the measures, bought for £100,000 free on board with £5,000 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £105,000. Duty at 6% is £6,300, residual anti-dumping duty at 62.1% is £65,205 and countervailing duty at 17.2% is £18,060. Import VAT is 20% of the value plus all three, £194,565, so £38,913. If the same bikes were not foldable, both trade remedies would fall away and only the £6,300 of duty would remain. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Battery transport: ask for the UN 38.3 test summary for the battery pack, and check whether complete bikes ship as UN 3171 battery-powered vehicles and spare packs as UN 3480, with the state of charge the carrier requires. Have the forwarder check battery test summaries and spare-pack requirements before shipping electric bikes from China to the UK.

Charger: ask for a safety test report to BS EN 60335-2-29 for the charger model supplied, and check the plug, cable and label on sampled chargers match that report.

Build and torque: check spoke tension, wheel true and brake bleed on sampled bikes, and check critical fasteners such as stem, handlebar and crank bolts against the torque values in the assembly instructions.

What goes wrong

E-bike imports fail on the duty, the limits and the battery. A model declared non-foldable has a folding frame or folding mechanism that brings it back into the measures, motors exceed 250 W continuous or assist above 15.5 mph so the bike is not legally a bicycle, and batteries use unbranded cells with a weak battery management system that overheats when charged. Frames crack at welds, brakes fade, and chargers lack proper protection.

Photograph and document the frame to show it is not foldable and keep the evidence with the declaration, test motor rating and cut-off speed on production samples, ask for tests to BS EN 15194 for the bike and BS EN 50604-1 for the battery, check cell maker and battery management system, test charger safety, and fatigue-test frames and check brakes and torque settings before shipment.

Planning the range

Given the duty gap, decide early whether a folding model belongs in the range, and if it does, which producer's rate you are buying at and whether its invoices will carry the declaration. Spare batteries, chargers and brake parts should come with the first order.

Cambridge China Bridge sources e-bikes built to the UK limits, checks the duty and the invoice declaration for each model, and inspects batteries and assembly before shipment. See how our sourcing service works.

For lithium cells, battery packs and storage batteries, see Lithium batteries and battery packs from China.