Sourcing glass drilling machines from China

Glass drilling machines: 2% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 8464 covers machine tools for working mineral materials or cold-working glass. Glass drilling machines come within the other-machines line, 8464 90 00 00. The table shows drilling configurations sharing that line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

The supplied tariff record shows 2% duty for goods from China across the heading, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls. Confirm the commodity code against the machine's functions, particularly if it also mills, cuts or polishes.

For related equipment within the wider heading, see glass edge polishing machines.

Specify the glass, holes and spindle arrangement

State the glass type, thickness range, sheet dimensions, hole diameters, hole positions and acceptable breakout at the hole edges. Specify the spindle arrangement, tool connection, speed adjustment, feed control, sheet support and clamping. Agree how hole position and repeatability will be measured on your own sample glass.

Specify cooling-water delivery, drainage, filtration, electrical supply and access for replacing drills and seals. For Great Britain, confirm with the relevant authority which CE or UKCA marking, declaration of conformity, guarding, emergency-stop and English-manual requirements apply to these machines under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008. The technical file must be compiled and available on request.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Two computer-controlled glass drilling machines, illustrative only under 8464 90 00 00, invoiced at £58,000 free on board, with £4,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £62,200. Duty at 2% is £1,244. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £63,444, so it is £12,688.80. Import taxes total £13,932.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,244 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Hole quality: drill the agreed sample glass and check diameter, position, edge chipping and repeatability, including alignment where opposed spindles meet.

Support and cooling: check sheet stability, clamp contact, water delivery at the drill, drainage and leaks near electrical components.

Safety and documents: check guards, interlocks, emergency stops, earthing, marking and the English manual; match the declaration to the machine supplied.

Arrival: inspect the skid fixings, spindle restraints, corrosion protection and accessories before commissioning. Repeat the agreed drilling trial after installation; see quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A demonstration on convenient sample glass can hide poor results on your material. Misaligned opposed spindles can leave a step in the hole; unstable support, worn tooling or inconsistent feed can cause chipping. Restricted cooling and leaking hoses can interrupt production.

Agree the test glass and acceptance criteria before ordering. Ask for drill connections, seals, pumps and controller backups to be identified in the handover documents, and record the settings used for the accepted trial.

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.