Knitting and embroidery machines from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, knitting machines, stitch-bonding machines and machines for making gimped yarn, tulle, lace, embroidery, trimmings, braid or net and for tufting, heading 8447, carried 0% on goods from China on all five lines, with no anti-dumping measure.

Household and industrial sewing machines are in heading 8452 (see our sewing machines guide), and looms in 8446 (see our weaving looms guide). Confirm the commodity code from the machine type and cylinder size.

Machinery rules

Each machine placed on the UK market must meet the essential health and safety requirements of the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, with a declaration of conformity, marking and instructions in English. Textile machinery safety is covered by the BS EN ISO 11111 series, with part 1 for common requirements and part 6 for fabric manufacturing machinery such as knitting machines.

Needle beds, take-down rollers and embroidery pantographs move fast near the operator's hands, so interlocked guards and hold-to-run controls for threading and set-up matter most.

Specifying a machine

For knitting, specify gauge, cylinder diameter or bed width, number of feeders, needle type, stitch and pattern capability, speed and the yarns you will run. For embroidery, specify number of heads, needles per head, field size, speed, cap and tubular frames, and the design software and file formats. Add the voltage and supply, and the needle and spares kit.

Worked duty example

Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 4 twelve-head computerised embroidery machines under 8447 90 00 00. At £64,000 free on board and £4,500 to ship and insure, the customs value is £68,500. With 0% duty on embroidery machines, the only charge is import VAT: 20% of £68,500, or £13,700. VAT-registered businesses usually recover that in their next return. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.

Inspection checklist

Production test: run your own yarn or designs at the factory and check fabric quality, stitch density and defects, or embroidery registration, thread breaks and trims, over an agreed run.

Safety: check guards and interlocks on needle beds, take-down and pantograph areas against BS EN ISO 11111-1 and BS EN ISO 11111-6, test every emergency stop, and check the electrical panel against BS EN 60204-1.

Software and documents: check the control software language, design transfer and licences, and check the declaration of conformity, English manuals and spares list before crating.

What goes wrong

Knitting and embroidery machines fail on output, software and spares. Machines produce more defects or thread breaks on your yarn than at the demonstration, control software is only in Chinese or the design format does not match your system, needles and electronic boards are hard to replace, and technicians are not available locally.

Test with your own yarn and designs, agree software language and spares in the contract, and plan training before shipment. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources knitting and embroidery machines for UK mills, workwear decorators and promotional product makers, checking the builder's references before an order. See factory verification.