Sourcing locks and padlocks from China
Padlocks, door locks, cylinders, furniture locks and keys from China pay 0% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. What sells a lock in the UK is the standard it is tested to, such as BS 3621 for door locks and TS 007 or Sold Secure for cylinders, so the test evidence matters more than the price. Cambridge China Bridge sources own-brand locks to a tested specification.
Locks, padlocks, cylinders and keys pay 0% UK duty from China. The standards UK buyers and insurers ask for, and where lock quality is cut.
Zero duty across the heading
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, every line below carried 0% duty on goods from China: padlocks, furniture locks, cylinder and other locks for building doors, other locks, parts and keys presented separately. None carried an anti-dumping measure.
With no duty to plan around, the landed price is product, freight and testing. Locks are dense and small, so they ship well by sea in mixed containers; see understanding the landed price and confirm each commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Padlocks | 8301 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Locks of a kind used for furniture | 8301 30 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Cylinder locks for doors of buildings | 8301 40 11 00 | 0% | None |
| Other locks for doors of buildings | 8301 40 19 00 | 0% | None |
| Other locks | 8301 40 90 00 | 0% | None |
| Parts of locks | 8301 60 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Keys presented separately | 8301 70 00 00 | 0% | None |
The standard is the product
UK buyers rarely ask whether a lock is legal; they ask what it is tested to. Home insurers commonly refer to BS 3621 for door locks, and euro cylinders are sold on anti-snap ratings such as TS 007 or Sold Secure. A lock described as meeting one of these without a current test certificate for that exact model is not the product the customer thinks they are buying.
Decide the rating before choosing a factory, because it narrows the field: many factories make locks, far fewer have models already tested to UK standards. Ask for the certificate, check the model number and date against it, and keep it with the product specification. Locks for fire doors are a separate question again, since the evidence covers the door assembly, not the lock alone.
Where lock quality is cut
The substitutions are hard to see: a zinc alloy cylinder body instead of brass, fewer pins, a padlock shackle that is not hardened, or a cam that is thinner than the sample. Specify the materials, the pin count and the shackle hardness, and check them on production pieces at inspection, including a key-to-lock test on a sample from every batch.
Key differs are the other check. A range sold as keyed-different needs enough different key codes that two customers are unlikely to share one, and a keyed-alike or master-keyed order needs the key plan confirmed in writing before production.
Sizes and packaging for UK doors
Euro cylinders are sold by their measurements from the centre to each face, and UK door thicknesses and handle sets vary, so a range needs the common sizes rather than one. Agree the size mix and the retail packaging with the factory, including the number of keys per lock.
Cambridge China Bridge sources own-brand locks, padlocks and cylinders to a tested specification, checks the certificates against the model, and inspects materials and keying before shipment. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on locks from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, padlocks, door and furniture locks, cylinders, parts and keys carried 0% duty from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
Which standards do UK buyers ask for on locks?
Commonly BS 3621 for door locks, which insurers refer to, and anti-snap ratings such as TS 007 or Sold Secure for euro cylinders. Ask for a current certificate for the exact model.
How can lock quality be checked before shipment?
Specify materials, pin count and shackle hardness, then check production pieces at inspection with a key-to-lock test on a sample from every batch.
Can a Chinese factory supply keyed-alike or master-keyed locks?
Yes, but the key plan has to be confirmed in writing before production and checked at inspection.