Sourcing Gyroplanes from China

Zero duty, with aircraft controls to check

Heading 8802 covers crewed aircraft alongside spacecraft. For a gyroplane, start by checking the aeroplanes and other aircraft branch against its unladen weight and civil use. The heavier aircraft rows are classification comparisons, rather than suggested gyroplane purchases. Do not use maximum take-off weight in place of unladen weight.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 14 October 2026, all listed lines carry 0% duty from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension recorded. The candidate lines attach an ozone-depleting-substances restriction and a DCMS Export Licence measure; the other-use lines also attach fluorinated greenhouse gas import control. Ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable declarations, documents and exemptions.

Give your broker the model description, unladen weight, intended use and supplied configuration to confirm the commodity code. The wider aircraft guide covers the broader product family. Keep the illustrative order values separate from a supplier quotation. For land-and-water aircraft sourcing, see our amphibious aircraft guide. For aerobatic aircraft purchases, see our aerobatic aircraft sourcing guide.

Specify the gyroplane and its airworthiness route

Agree whether the purchase is a complete factory-built gyroplane or an assembly project. Specify the airframe, rotor blades and hub, engine, propeller, rotor pre-rotation system, cockpit layout and instruments. Request drawings, serial-number records, maintenance instructions and the supplied configuration. Confirm the applicable airworthiness evidence, certification and registration route with the UK Civil Aviation Authority before committing to the factory.

Ask for the contents of any fire extinguisher and the refrigerant details of any fitted cooling equipment. Importing ozone-depleting substances into Great Britain requires a licence. Ask your broker to check whether any installed equipment engages the tariff restriction before accepting an absence declaration.

Pre-charged equipment can be incorporated into another product, and equipment placed on the market must comply with fluorinated-gas product bans. For a gyroplane with such equipment, have your broker confirm the applicable import requirements. The cultural-goods guidance states that importing objects of cultural interest into Great Britain has no licensing requirement; ask the broker to distinguish this from the attached export measure.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: a crated civil gyroplane, subject to classification confirmation under 8802 20 00 10, invoiced at £50,000 free on board, with £5,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £55,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £55,000, so it is £11,000. 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 and records: match the airframe, engine, rotor and propeller identifiers to the order and supporting documents; record any substituted component.

Rotor assembly: have an aviation specialist check blade surfaces, hub condition, bearings, attachment hardware and the supplied balance records against the manufacturer's instructions.

Controls and systems: check control movement, cable routing, fuel and coolant connections, wiring protection and instrument installation with the appointed aviation specialist.

Packing and arrival: check rotor supports, restraint points, corrosion protection and crate damage; photograph impact marks and keep affected components aside for assessment.

What goes wrong

A factory may supply documents for a different engine, rotor or airframe configuration. Unrecorded substitutions, missing maintenance instructions and incomplete serial-number records leave the buyer unable to establish what was supplied. Compare the proposed aircraft configuration with the evidence before paying the balance.

Rotor blades can be damaged by unsuitable supports, while loose restraints can let the airframe move inside its crate. Arrange an aviation specialist's arrival assessment and resolve damage before assembly or flight. A sourcing inspection does not establish UK-recognised airworthiness.

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.