Sourcing laptops, mini PCs and peripherals from China
Laptops, desktop and mini PCs, keyboards, mice and storage units from China pay 0% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. Computers fall under the retained ecodesign regulation 617/2013, and desktops, laptops and non-cellular tablets are excepted from the PSTI rules unless designed only for children under 14. Cambridge China Bridge sources own-brand and education computer hardware.
Laptops, mini PCs, keyboards and drives pay 0% UK duty from China. Computer ecodesign, the PSTI exception for computers, and what goes wrong in builds.
Zero duty on computers and parts
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, portable computers, desktop and mini PCs with processor and input and output in one housing, processing units, keyboards, other input and output units, hard disk drives and other computer units all carried 0% duty on goods from China. None carried an anti-dumping measure.
The large computer brands dominate the finished-PC market, but own-brand mini PCs, education and industrial computers, and peripherals are practical to source at modest volumes. Confirm each commodity code, and remember import VAT is still due.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portable computers up to 10 kg (laptops) | 8471 30 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Computers with processor, input and output in one housing (desktop and mini PCs) | 8471 41 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Processing units | 8471 50 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Keyboards | 8471 60 60 00 | 0% | None |
| Other input or output units (for example mice) | 8471 60 70 00 | 0% | None |
| Hard disk drives | 8471 70 50 00 | 0% | None |
| Other units of computers | 8471 80 00 00 | 0% | None |
Ecodesign and product security
Great Britain retained the ecodesign regulation for computers, Regulation 617/2013. Article 1 applies it to mains-powered desktop, integrated desktop and notebook computers, including tablets and mobile thin clients, desktop thin clients, workstations, small-scale servers and computer servers, and excludes blade systems, server appliances, multi-node servers, servers with more than four processor sockets, game consoles and docking stations. Ask the factory for the energy test data behind its compliance for each configuration.
Schedule 3 of the PSTI security regulations excepts desktop computers, laptop computers and tablets that cannot connect to cellular networks, but not those designed exclusively for children under 14. A computer made for young children, or a tablet with a cellular modem, therefore needs the PSTI requirements on passwords, security reporting and update periods, and so do smart peripherals such as webcams that connect on their own.
Where builds go wrong
The substitution risk in computers is in the parts you cannot see: a slower memory module, a smaller or older SSD, a different Wi-Fi card or a battery with fewer cells than the approved sample. Write the exact part numbers of each component into the product specification and check a sample from every batch against them at inspection, with a burn-in test.
Software is the other half. Agree the operating system licensing, the keyboard layout, UK English language and power plug, and who supplies driver and firmware updates, before production. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules also need radio test evidence, and the batteries need transport test summaries.
Education and business buyers
Schools, training providers and businesses often want a fixed configuration for several years, so ask the factory how long it will build the same specification and how it will notify changes. Spare batteries, chargers and keyboards should be in the first order.
Cambridge China Bridge sources own-brand laptops, mini PCs and peripherals to a fixed component specification, checks the ecodesign, radio and battery documents, and inspects builds before shipment. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on laptops from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, laptops, desktop and mini PCs, keyboards, mice and drives carried 0% duty from China, with no anti-dumping duty. Import VAT still applies.
Do laptops fall under the PSTI rules?
Schedule 3 of the PSTI security regulations excepts desktops, laptops and tablets without cellular connection, unless designed exclusively for children under 14.
Which ecodesign rules apply to computers?
The retained Regulation 617/2013, which covers mains-powered desktops, notebooks including tablets, thin clients, workstations and small servers.
How do I stop component substitution in own-brand PCs?
Write exact part numbers into the specification and check samples from every batch against them at inspection, with a burn-in test.