Sourcing machine knives and blades from China
Machine knives and blades from China, including planer and chipper knives, food slicer and mincer blades, mower and forage blades, and guillotine, shredder and granulator knives, pay 0% UK duty with no anti-dumping duty. Steel grade, hardness and edge geometry decide life, and food blades are food contact materials. Cambridge China Bridge sources machine knives.
Knives and blades for metalworking, woodworking, food, farm and paper machines from China pay 0% UK duty. Steels, BS EN 847 and a worked example.
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, knives and cutting blades for machines or mechanical appliances, for metalworking, woodworking, kitchen appliances and food industry machines, agricultural, horticultural or forestry machines, and other uses, carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Saw blades and drill bits are interchangeable tools in other headings, so confirm the commodity code; see the drill bits and saw blades guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| For metalworking | 8208 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| For woodworking | 8208 20 00 00 | 0% | None |
| For kitchen appliances or food industry machines | 8208 30 00 00 | 0% | None |
| For agricultural, horticultural or forestry machines | 8208 40 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Other, such as paper, shredder and granulator knives | 8208 90 00 00 | 0% | None |
Steels, standards and food contact
Name the steel and hardness for each knife: high-speed steel or tungsten carbide for planer and moulder knives, D2 or similar tool steel for granulator and shear blades, and hardened martensitic stainless for food blades, with the Rockwell hardness range and the edge angle on the drawing. Woodworking tools used in machines should meet BS EN 847-1 for planing and milling tools, which covers marking and clamping safety.
Blades in slicers, mincers and food processing lines are food contact materials under Regulation 1935/2004, so ask for stainless grade certificates and a declaration of compliance, and avoid coatings that are not declared for food. See the woodworking machines guide and the food processing machinery guide.
Worked duty example
Take a hypothetical order of 4,000 HSS planer knives, entered under 8208 20 00 00: £28,000 free on board plus £1,200 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £29,200. Machine knives carry no duty, so import VAT of 20% on £29,200, £5,840, is the only tax. A VAT-registered importer normally reclaims it, so the border adds no lasting cost. Knives are small and dense, so freight is a small share of the value. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.
What goes wrong
Machine knives fail on steel, hardness and geometry. A cheaper steel is substituted, heat treatment leaves knives too soft so they dull quickly or too hard so edges chip, and carbide tips are poorly brazed. Knives are not flat or straight, bolt holes and slots miss the machine pattern, pairs and sets are not balanced to the same weight, and food blades rust because the stainless grade is lower than specified.
Check steel grade by material certificate and spot analysis, measure hardness along each knife and on samples from every batch, check flatness and straightness on a surface plate, fit-check holes and slots against the machine or a gauge, weigh sets for balance, run a cutting trial on your material, and salt-spray or wet-test food blades.
Cambridge China Bridge sources planer, granulator, food, agricultural and paper machine knives to drawing, with hardness and fit checks agreed before production. See our machine knife sourcing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on machine knives from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, knives and cutting blades for machines of heading 8208 carried 0% duty from China.
Which standard covers woodworking planer knives?
BS EN 847-1 covers planing and milling tools used on woodworking machines.
Do food machine blades need food contact evidence?
Yes. They are food contact materials under Regulation 1935/2004, with a stainless grade certificate and a declaration.
Are saw blades in heading 8208?
No. Saw blades and drill bits are classified in other headings.