Sourcing gas turbine rotor discs from China

0% duty, with classification by engine application

Heading 8411 covers turbojets, turbopropellers and other gas turbines, including their parts. For rotor discs, distinguish turbojet or turbopropeller parts from other gas turbine parts. Describe the finished component and its intended engine application rather than declaring it simply as a metal disc.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, the selected lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or import controls for these lines. The blade and ring-segment row is a classification comparison, not a rotor-disc code.

Confirm the commodity code with your customs broker using the drawing, manufacturing condition and engine application. Check the aircraft-use wording before choosing 8411 91 00 20. Do not classify a separate rotor disc under a description limited to blades or ring segments. See the related rotor blade guide for the wider heading.

Specify the disc forging, heat treatment and interfaces

Give the supplier the engine model, disc position, part identity and controlled drawing revision. Specify the alloy and manufacturing route, heat-treatment condition, bore and hub geometry, blade attachment slots, bolt holes, runout and surface finish. State whether the order covers a forging, a partly machined component or a finished replacement disc.

Agree material traceability from the melt and forging through heat treatment and final machining. Request chemistry and mechanical-property results, heat-treatment records, dimensional reports and the agreed ultrasonic or penetrant examination reports. Have the turbine engineer set acceptance criteria and approve any proposed material or process change.

HSE states that equipment sold for use at work must be safe so far as reasonably practicable. Arrange risk-based inspection of the industrial turbine receiving the disc. Treat drawing approval and test acceptance as purchasing decisions, and agree the document pack before placing the order. Factory verification can check whether the supplier performs the claimed processes.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: One machined replacement rotor disc for an industrial gas turbine, illustrative under 8411 99 00 99, invoiced at £8,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,200, so it is £1,840. 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

Identity: match the disc marking, drawing revision and material batch to the certificates and packing list. Check this again on arrival.

Material and treatment: match chemistry, mechanical-property results and heat-treatment records to the actual disc. Resolve missing or inconsistent batch references.

Geometry and examination: check bore, attachment slots, bolt pattern, runout and surface finish against the drawing. Match examination reports and any balance report to the supplied component.

Condition and packing: inspect for corrosion, dents, burrs and damage to attachment slots or machined faces. Check protective covers and supports before releasing the disc for engineering acceptance. Agree the scope through the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A disc can fit the shaft yet have the wrong heat-treatment condition, attachment-slot profile or material history. Generic alloy certificates and examination reports without a component identity leave gaps in acceptance evidence. Reject unexplained substitutions and ask the turbine engineer to resolve discrepancies before installation.

Packing damage can affect machined interfaces even when the carton looks intact. Quarantine damaged or unidentified discs rather than blending them into stock. A generic CE or UKCA certificate does not answer whether the material, geometry and test results match your order; make those checks explicit in the purchase specification.

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.