Sourcing gynae examination couches from China

Duty on gynaecology examination couches

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 9402 covers medical furniture, including examination tables. Gynaecology examination couches fall within the other medical furniture line, 9402 90 00 00, subject to confirmation of the design. The variants shown share that code and carry 0% duty from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches an import prohibition concerning goods for torture and repression and an import control on cat and dog fur. Confirm the requirements for the actual couch and upholstery with your customs broker. The supplied record also lists cultural-object export licensing, torture-goods export restrictions and cat-and-dog-fur export controls; ask your broker to check these before any onward export.

Send the intended use, photographs, adjustment mechanism and accessory list to your broker to confirm the commodity code. See the medical furniture and chairs guide for the wider heading.

Specify patient positioning and cleaning

Agree the intended examinations, patient weight rating, access height, backrest adjustment and leg-support positions. Specify whether supports are padded cradles or stirrups, how they lock, and whether they can be removed for cleaning. Include the drainage tray, paper-roll holder, castor brakes and spare upholstery in the approved specification.

Before placing medical examination couches on the Great Britain market, confirm with MHRA the applicable UKCA or accepted CE marking and registration requirements. A manufacturer outside the UK must appoint a single UK Responsible Person. Ask for conformity documents matching the exact couch model, English instructions and electrical test evidence for powered versions.

Approve upholstery using the clinic's actual disinfectants. Agree cleaning access around seams, support sockets and the drainage tray, together with replacement controls, actuators and leg-support fittings. Record these checks in the purchase specification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: An illustrative clinic order of electric gynaecology examination couches under 9402 90 00 00, invoiced at £22,000 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £25,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £25,500, so it is £5,100. 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

Positioning: check backrest locks, leg-support clamps and adjustment travel against the approved sample; supports should hold their position under the agreed test load.

Lift and stability: run the adjustment mechanism under the specified load, check for hydraulic leaks or sinking, inspect welds and test castor brakes.

Cleaning surfaces: inspect seams, exposed foam, sharp edges and tray removal; wipe sample covers with the agreed disinfectants and check for cracking or colour transfer.

Documents and controls: match model labels, conformity documents and registration evidence; test hand or foot controls and cable routing during quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A couch can match the catalogue photograph yet have loose leg-support clamps, a slipping backrest or a lift that sinks under load. Covers can crack after disinfectant wiping, while awkward tray fittings leave cleaning areas inaccessible. Approve a working sample with the clinic's intended examination positions and cleaning routine.

A report for another couch does not establish the supplied model's performance. Match the actuator, controls, upholstery and model identity to the approved documents, then repeat functional checks on arrival before clinical use.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.