Sourcing electric meter test benches from China

Duty on bench meters and parts

Heading 9028 covers gas, liquid and electricity supply or production meters, including calibrating meters, and the listed parts and accessories. For electricity meter test benches, the table identifies electricity meter lines relevant to reference meters and meters being tested, plus electricity meter parts. It does not establish the classification of a complete bench.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, all listed lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duties, suspensions or attached import controls. This duty position applies to goods classified under those lines.

Give your customs broker the bench's operating description, component list and details of any separately supplied reference meter. Confirm the commodity code before ordering. For the wider electricity meter category, see prepayment electricity meters.

Specify the source, reference meter and fixtures

Specify the meter types, phase arrangements, terminal layouts and mounting fixtures the bench must accept. Agree voltage and current ranges, power-factor settings, pulse detection, communications and simultaneous testing capacity. Ask the supplier to demonstrate your intended meter models through the proposed test sequence.

Define acceptance limits for source stability, reference-meter uncertainty and repeatability. Request calibration records identifying the reference meter and covering the intended operating range. Agree starting-current and no-load creep tests, report fields, software access and how calibration settings are protected.

For equipment within the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations, the importer must ensure instructions are in easily understandable English. Electromagnetic compatibility rules cover equipment liable to generate electromagnetic disturbance, subject to exceptions. Hazardous-substance rules cover electrical and electronic equipment, cables and spare parts unless specifically excluded. Assess the bench's scope and request supporting documents through testing and certification. Where your business is an electrical equipment producer, annual producer registration is required.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: a multiphase reference electricity meter for a test bench under 9028 30 19 00, invoiced at £45,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £47,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £47,000, so it is £9,400. 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

Reference meter: match its serial number to the calibration record and check that the recorded range covers the agreed test points.

Loaded operation: run the agreed meter models at different loads and power factors, then repeat the sequence to compare results.

Connections and protection: have a competent electrical tester check terminal identification, protective connections, guards and fitted shutdown controls before energising the bench.

Software and records: check pulse capture, communications, saved results, licence access and English instructions during inspection.

What goes wrong

Watch for a reference meter whose calibration record covers only part of the promised range, unstable output under load, missed pulses and fixtures that do not fit the buyer's meters. Require demonstrations with your meter models and retain the raw results alongside the supplier's summary.

A demonstration can leave software access, replacement leads and recalibration arrangements unresolved. Record what is included and who can change protected settings. Keep the calibration evidence separate from the documents used to assess electrical product compliance.

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.