Sourcing gas patio heaters from China

UK duty on gas patio heaters

Heading 7321 covers non-electric domestic appliances of iron or steel and their parts. Gas patio heaters within this heading fall under 7321 81 00 00; their parts fall under 7321 90 00 00. The table shows different heater formats sharing the same appliance code, rather than separate tariff classifications. For pellet-fuelled heating, see our non-electric wood pellet stove guide.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, these lines carried 2% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls for them. Import VAT is normally 20%; see UK import duty and VAT.

Confirm the material, heating function and goods supplied before declaring the commodity code. Do not assume separately supplied regulators, hoses or cylinders share the heater's code. For the wider gas-heater family, see portable butane gas heaters.

Specify the gas supply and heater assembly

Specify the intended gas, gas category, supply pressure, cylinder connection and whether the regulator and hose are included. Ask for drawings of the cylinder compartment, base, reflector, burner guard and assembly fixings. Agree the finish, replacement parts and packaging around easily bent reflectors or glass tubes.

Gas appliances within scope need conformity assessment before sale in Great Britain; confirm with the relevant authority which independent assessment route applies to the exact heater. Ask for the approved or notified body certificates covering the exact model and intended gas supply, together with the declaration of conformity and English instructions. Check the complete assessment history, rather than accepting a generic laboratory CE certificate. Use testing and certification to organise the document review.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 200 gas patio heaters under 7321 81 00 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £18,000. Duty at 2% is £360. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £18,360, so it is £3,672. Import taxes total £4,032; 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

Documents: match the model on the heater, carton, declaration and certificates. Check the data plate for manufacturer identification, appliance category and nominal supply pressure, and check that instructions and warnings are in English.

Gas operation: have a competent inspector check joints for leaks, ignition, flame stability and flame-supervision shut-off using the specified gas supply. Compare the fitted regulator, hose and burner with the approved sample.

Assembly: check base stability, cylinder fit, door closure, wheel fixings, guard attachment and reflector alignment. For glass-tube models, inspect the tube and its supports for cracks or transport movement.

Arrival: inspect cartons for crushing and moisture, then check welds, coating damage, loose fasteners and missing fittings. Record defects against the agreed sample; see quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A certificate can describe a similar heater while the delivered model has a different burner, regulator or gas category. Treat substitutions as a reason to review the certification before accepting the shipment. A showroom sample does not establish that production units match it.

Reflectors can arrive bent, glass tubes cracked and bases difficult to assemble because holes do not align. Ask the factory to pack these vulnerable components securely and assemble a heater from production cartons before shipment. Keep the approved sample, component list and inspection photographs together.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.