Sourcing industrial X-ray cabinets from China

Zero duty on cabinets and relevant parts

Heading 9022 covers X-ray apparatus, tubes and relevant parts. An industrial inspection cabinet generally falls under 9022 19 00 00; computed tomography apparatus has its own line, 9022 12 00 00. This guide covers electrically generated X-rays for inspecting products. See the wider X-ray equipment guide for other applications.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 18 October 2026, all selected lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for these lines. The fluorinated greenhouse gas control recorded elsewhere in heading 9022 is attached to apparatus using other ionising radiation, outside this cabinet selection.

Confirm the commodity code using the inspection method, intended use and whether the shipment contains a complete cabinet, a tube or parts. Zero customs duty does not remove the radiation requirements for using the cabinet.

Specify the cabinet around your inspection task

Specify the materials and defects to inspect, sample dimensions and weight, loading arrangement, positioning travel and image coverage. Agree acceptance using your own representative parts, including known defects. Record the tube and detector models, software functions, image export format, licence terms and replacement arrangements.

Ask for cabinet drawings showing shielding, door joints, service openings, interlocks and warning signals. Have the buyer's radiation protection adviser review the design and leakage survey alongside the radiation risk assessment. Work with a cabinet a person cannot enter requires HSE registration; confirm with HSE whether the intended industrial radiography work requires consent. Resolve the applicable route before commissioning.

For cabinets supplied as machinery in Great Britain, CE marking remains recognised alongside UKCA. Ask for the exact model's declaration of conformity, technical evidence and English instructions, including machinery, electrical safety and electromagnetic compatibility evidence. Arrange testing and certification support around the actual cabinet configuration.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Four industrial X-ray inspection cabinets, illustrative order under 9022 19 00 00, invoiced at £64,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £68,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £68,000, so it is £13,600. 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

Shielding: compare the delivered enclosure, door joints and service openings with the approved drawings; arrange a leakage survey after installation.

Safety functions: have a competent specialist check door interlocks, warning signals and emergency stopping against the agreed design without bypassing safeguards.

Image acceptance: inspect agreed test pieces using the supplied settings; check defect visibility, positioning repeatability and saved image exports.

Arrival and support: check transport damage, tube and detector identification, software licences, manuals, spare parts and the agreed installation and service arrangements.

What goes wrong

A demonstration image can look acceptable while failing to reveal defects in your own castings or assemblies. A different detector, changed tube specification or incomplete software licence can invalidate the agreed acceptance method. Record the supplied configuration and retain the original test images.

Damaged shielding joints, unreliable door interlocks and unsupported replacement tubes can delay commissioning. Agree who will investigate failed acceptance, repair the cabinet and repeat the relevant checks. Do not treat a supplier's factory survey as acceptance of the installed cabinet.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For components and parts, see sourcing for manufacturers.