Sourcing magnetic base drills from China

2% duty on magnetic base drilling machines

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 8459 covers machine tools that remove metal by drilling, boring, milling, threading or tapping. This guide concerns magnetic base drilling machines. For the wider heading, see bench drill presses. The table shows product variants sharing the non-numerically controlled drilling line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

The drilling lines carry 2% duty for goods from China. The supplied data records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, tariff suspension or attached import control. The wider heading includes boring and boring-milling lines at 0%; that rate does not apply simply because a magnetic drill uses an annular cutter.

Confirm the commodity code from the machine's function and control system. Non-numerically controlled drilling machines are listed under 8459 29 00 00; numerically controlled drilling machines are under 8459 21 00 00. Automatic feed alone does not establish numerical control. Send your customs broker the specification, manual and operating description.

Specify the magnetic base and cutting setup

Specify annular cutter and twist-drill capacity separately, cutter shank and arbor, spindle travel, speed selection, feed arrangement and clearance beneath the spindle. State the supply voltage, frequency and plug. If you need tapping, specify reversing controls, tooling and the intended thread range rather than accepting an unspecified tapping claim.

Ask for magnetic holding performance with the test conditions: steel grade, plate thickness, surface condition and machine orientation. Agree a demonstration on material representative of your work. Specify the restraint supplied, coolant delivery, cutter guard, carrying case and replacement parts, including brushes, switches and arbors.

For supply in Great Britain, confirm with the relevant product safety authority how the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 apply to the machine, including declaration of conformity, conformity marking and English-instruction requirements. CE marking remains recognised in Great Britain. Electrical equipment liable to generate electromagnetic disturbance also falls within the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016, subject to their exceptions. Request the supporting documents for the exact model and electrical configuration.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order, not a quotation: 8 non-numerically controlled magnetic base drilling machines under 8459 29 00 00, invoiced at £4,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,200. Duty at 2% is £104. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,304, so it is £1,060.80. Import taxes total £1,164.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £104 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Magnetic base: check the contact face for damage and contamination; repeat the agreed holding test on the specified steel and inspect the restraint and its attachment.

Cutting performance: drill the agreed test piece with the intended cutter, measure the hole and inspect spindle run-out, feed play, cutter retention and coolant delivery.

Controls and electrics: check the ordered supply configuration, cable, switches, guard and stopping functions; verify behaviour after a power interruption against the agreed design and manual.

Documents and arrival condition: match the nameplate to the declaration and English manual, count accessories, and inspect the base, slide and case for transit damage. Use the same recorded checks before shipment and on arrival; see quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A holding-force claim without its test conditions makes quotations difficult to compare. A demonstration on thick, clean steel may not represent the buyer's thinner or coated workpiece. Cutter capacity can also be quoted without stating the usable depth, spindle clearance or required arbor.

Watch for loose feed slides, spindle run-out, leaking coolant connections, unsuitable cutter fittings and paperwork for a different electrical version. Record acceptance results against the ordered machine and repeat the cutting and base checks after delivery. Ask the supplier to resolve discrepancies before releasing the machine for use or resale.

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.