Sourcing foundry patterns from China

Duty on patterns and associated tooling

Heading 8480 covers moulding patterns alongside moulding boxes, mould bases and moulds. Foundry patterns create the shape in moulding sand rather than forming the finished casting directly. Wooden patterns fall under 8480 30 10 00; patterns of other materials fall under 8480 30 90 00. The table also includes associated boxes and bases, which are separate goods. For bases, see our mould base sourcing guide.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 October 2026, both pattern lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls for these lines. Solid wood packaging used to bring patterns into Great Britain must meet the international phytosanitary packaging standard, separately from the pattern's tariff classification.

Confirm the material, function and separately supplied items with your broker using finding your commodity code. For the wider equipment context, see die-casting machines and foundry equipment.

Specify the pattern around the casting process

Provide the finished casting drawing and identify the casting alloy and moulding process. Agree who calculates shrinkage and machining allowances. Specify the parting line, draft, core prints, loose pieces, pattern material, surface coating and mounting arrangement. Distinguish the finished casting dimensions from the pattern dimensions.

Agree drawing revision, dimensional acceptance and a trial casting before dispatch. Put ownership, exclusive use, storage, repair responsibility and removal terms in the tooling agreement. If you provide patterns for producing imported castings in China, confirm with your customs broker how any pattern cost not already in the seller's price should be treated in the castings' customs value.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: a matched resin pattern set for a casting project under 8480 30 90 00, invoiced at £20,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £22,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £22,000, so it is £4,400. 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

Dimensions: compare the pattern with its approved drawing, checking shrinkage allowance, machining stock, draft and core print positions.

Assembly: fit mating halves and loose pieces; check locating pins, mounting holes and alignment against the intended moulding equipment.

Trial casting: review dimensional results and inspect for mismatch, displaced cores and damage caused when withdrawing the pattern from sand.

Arrival condition: check for warped wood, chipped resin, damaged edges and loose fittings; match identification and drawing revision to the approved set.

What goes wrong

A pattern copied directly from the finished part drawing can omit shrinkage or machining stock. Poor draft damages the sand during withdrawal, while misplaced core prints or worn locating features can produce displaced cores and mismatched casting halves. Resolve these points through drawing approval and trial castings.

Wood can move during storage and shipping, and resin edges can chip if loose pieces are packed against them. Agree support and protection for each component, photograph the packed set and compare arrival measurements with the dispatch report. Record ownership and access arrangements before leaving patterns at a factory.

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.