Sourcing jig boring machines from China
Jig boring machines from China carry 0% UK duty under the boring or boring-milling lines of heading 8459, with no anti-dumping duty recorded. New machines for the Great Britain market must meet machinery safety requirements and carry conformity marking, a declaration and English instructions. Cambridge China Bridge sources jig boring machines.
0% duty on boring and boring-milling machines
Heading 8459 covers machine tools that remove metal by drilling, boring, milling, threading or tapping. This guide concerns jig boring machines used to produce accurately positioned holes. The table includes boring-milling alternatives where the machine also mills. See our drilling and milling machines guide for the wider heading.
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 October 2026, the selected boring and boring-milling lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls for these lines. The illustrative order values are an example, rather than a supplier quotation.
Confirm the commodity code from the machine's functions and whether it is numerically controlled. Describe any milling function explicitly and provide the specification to your customs broker rather than relying on the supplier's description of a jig borer.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numerically controlled jig boring machines, without milling function | 8459 41 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Other jig boring machines, without milling function | 8459 49 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Numerically controlled boring-milling machines for jig work | 8459 31 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Other boring-milling machines for jig work | 8459 39 00 00 | 0% | None |
Specify hole position and boring accuracy
Give the factory a representative jig or fixture drawing showing hole diameters, centre distances, datums and tolerances. Specify table size and load, axis travels, spindle taper, quill travel, boring range, speeds and feeds. Separate positioning accuracy, repeatability and finished bore quality in the acceptance agreement.
Agree the control or digital readout, measuring equipment, test method, electrical supply and included boring tools. Ask the factory to machine the agreed test piece and provide measured results before packing. Check its assembly and metrology capability through factory verification.
New machinery placed on the Great Britain market must satisfy the essential health and safety requirements and be UKCA or CE marked, accompanied by a declaration of conformity and instructions in English. Review the evidence for the exact machine configuration before shipment.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 8 non-numerically controlled jig boring machines under 8459 49 00 00, invoiced at £96,000 free on board, with £6,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £102,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £102,000, so it is £20,400. 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
Geometry: check spindle run-out, table flatness, axis squareness and positioning repeatability against the agreed specification. Repeat the checks after installation and levelling.
Test piece: measure hole diameter, roundness and centre distances from the agreed datums. Check results after approaching the position from different directions to expose backlash.
Controls and safety: check the fitted control or readout, axis locks, guards, interlocks and emergency stops. Match the declaration, English instructions and wiring diagrams to the supplied machine.
Arrival: inspect slide locks, spindle protection, crate bracing and corrosion protection. Record impact damage before commissioning. Use our quality inspection guide to plan the checks.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
A precise-looking readout can conceal backlash, loose slides or poor spindle geometry. A factory demonstration on an easy test piece may also miss errors across the working travel. Agree a representative part and measurement method, and retain the factory results for comparison after arrival.
Transit can disturb alignment when moving parts are unsecured. Agree how slides and the spindle will be protected, document the packing, and repeat acceptance checks after levelling. Confirm the tooling and readout supplied against the order before releasing the machine for production.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on jig boring machines from China?
The boring and boring-milling lines in the supplied tariff record carry 0% duty for China. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty is recorded for these lines.
Does a jig boring machine use the same code as a milling machine?
The code depends on its functions and control. Confirm whether it is a boring machine or a boring-milling machine, and whether it is numerically controlled.
What documents should a new jig borer have?
For the Great Britain market, new machinery must have UKCA or CE marking, a declaration of conformity and instructions in English. Check that the documents identify the supplied machine.
How do I check a jig borer's accuracy?
Agree a test piece with hole diameters, centre distances and datums. Measure the finished part and machine geometry at the factory, then repeat the checks after installation and levelling.