Sourcing floor scrubber dryers from China
Industrial floor scrubber dryers considered under heading 8479 have a 0% duty range across the selected machinery and parts lines. For supply in Great Britain, machinery needs conformity assessment, marking, a declaration and English instructions. Confirm the exact configuration before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources industrial floor scrubber dryers.
UK duty on industrial floor scrubber dryers
Heading 8479 covers machines with individual functions not specified elsewhere in the chapter. The residual machinery line is a classification candidate for industrial floor scrubber dryers that scrub floors and recover dirty water. The table shows machine formats and relevant parts categories, rather than separate tariff codes for each format. Separately supplied components need their own classification.
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, the selected lines carry 0% ordinary duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions recorded. The complete-machine line attaches waste import and export controls and a fluorinated greenhouse gas import control. The other-parts line also attaches the gas control. Waste shipment controls apply only to waste. Ask your customs broker to confirm the attached controls for the actual shipment, particularly used equipment.
Confirm the commodity code using the cleaning function, power source, machine configuration and parts descriptions. If equipment contains regulated fluorinated gas, imported gas equipment must be correctly labelled; ask the broker to confirm any further requirements for goods from China. For the wider category, see cleaning and janitorial products.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk-behind industrial floor scrubber dryers, subject to classification | 8479 89 97 90 | 0% | None |
| Dedicated scrubber dryer parts of cast iron or cast steel, where classified here | 8479 90 20 90 | 0% | None |
| Other dedicated scrubber dryer parts, where classified here | 8479 90 70 99 | 0% | None |
Specify scrubbing and water recovery together
State whether you need walk-behind or ride-on operation, the floor surfaces, access restrictions and cleaning solution. Agree brush or pad type, cleaning width, tank capacities, brush pressure and how the machine handles edges, turns and uneven joints. Specify the acceptable water left behind after a cleaning pass.
For battery machines, identify the battery chemistry, usable runtime under cleaning load, charger compatibility and replacement battery access. Agree a demonstration on representative flooring with the supplied brushes and squeegee. Request the technical-file arrangements, model-specific declaration, conformity marking and English instructions before shipment; confirm the applicable machinery supply and workplace use obligations with the relevant authority.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative batch of walk-behind industrial floor scrubber dryers under 8479 89 97 90, invoiced at £12,000 free on board, with £3,840 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £15,840. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £15,840, so it is £3,168. 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
Water recovery: check squeegee contact, suction hoses, tank seals and recovery around turns. Repeat the agreed floor test on arrival.
Battery and charger: check the fitted battery and charger against the approved specification, inspect connectors and record runtime while brushing and recovering water.
Controls and construction: check stopping behaviour, steering, guards, hose routing, leaks and access for cleaning the recovery tank.
Documents and spares: match the machine identity to its declaration, marking and English instructions. Check replacement brushes, pads, squeegee blades and seals through an agreed pre-shipment inspection.
What goes wrong
A machine can scrub effectively but leave wet tracks because the squeegee, suction path or tank seal does not work properly. A clean demonstration floor can also conceal poor recovery at joints and turns. Test the combined cleaning and drying result, rather than accepting a video of rotating brushes.
Battery substitutions, an unsuitable charger and proprietary squeegee fittings can disrupt use after arrival. Freeze the component list, agree how substitutions will be approved and obtain a parts identification sheet. A generic certificate does not replace the model-specific declaration; confirm the applicable marking and English instruction requirements with the relevant authority.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on floor scrubber dryers from China?
The selected heading 8479 machinery and parts lines carry 0% ordinary duty, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty recorded in the supplied tariff facts. Confirm the exact commodity code.
Is CE marking enough for an imported scrubber dryer?
Marking alone is insufficient. Check the conformity assessment, technical-file arrangements, model-specific declaration and English instructions before supplying the machine in Great Britain.
How do I check a scrubber dryer before shipment?
Run it on representative flooring with the agreed battery, brushes and squeegee. Check cleaning, water recovery around turns, leaks, loaded runtime and the supplied charger.
Can I import used floor scrubber dryers from China?
Confirm condition and waste status before ordering. The machinery code attaches waste and fluorinated-gas controls; ask your customs broker to confirm the requirements for the actual shipment.