Sourcing manual grease guns from China

Manual grease guns: proposed duty of 2%

Heading 8205 covers hand tools not elsewhere specified, alongside blowlamps, vices and other listed tools. For complete manual grease guns, use 8205 59 80 00, other hand tools, as a proposed classification for confirmation. The table shows variants against the same tariff line, rather than separate commodity codes.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 October 2026, the supplied tariff data records 2% duty from China for this line, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control. The wider heading ranges from 0% to 2%; that range does not mean every grease gun qualifies for either rate.

Send your broker the operating mechanism, loading method, photographs and contents of the shipment to confirm the commodity code. For another product family within the heading, see the manual caulking guns guide.

Loading, pressure and coupler specification

Specify lever or pistol-grip operation, cartridge compatibility, bulk-fill arrangements, barrel material and follower-seal design. Agree the outlet thread, rigid spout or flexible hose, coupler type and target grease nipples. Request drawings and a sample that can be loaded with the buyer's intended grease.

Agree working-pressure claims, delivery per stroke and a controlled test method for the complete gun, hose and coupler assembly. Suppliers must supply safe work equipment. Ask for instructions covering loading, air bleeding, pressure release and coupler removal. If sold as a consumer tool in Great Britain, confirm the applicable general product safety requirements with the relevant authority.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative batch of lever-operated manual grease guns for a workshop supplier under 8205 59 80 00, invoiced at £4,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,000. Duty at 2% is £120. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,120, so it is £1,224. Import taxes total £1,344; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £120 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Loading and priming: load the intended cartridge or bulk grease, bleed trapped air and check that delivery starts and resumes after refilling.

Delivery and leakage: measure output against the agreed specification and inspect the head, barrel joint, piston and hose connections during controlled testing.

Coupler and mechanism: check nipple engagement and release, outlet-thread fit, hose crimps, follower movement and lever or trigger return.

Packing and instructions: check for dented barrels, corrosion, missing accessories and readable loading and pressure-release instructions. Record findings using the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

Air trapped behind the grease can stop delivery, while a poorly fitting follower seal lets grease bypass it. Loose head joints leak, damaged barrel threads make refilling difficult, and mismatched couplers either leak at the nipple or resist removal. Include loaded functional checks rather than judging an empty sample by appearance.

Pressurised fluid can penetrate skin and cause injection injury. Treat leakage and fitting security as safety issues. Arrange controlled pressure testing with the factory or laboratory, and keep the claimed pressure linked to the tested assembly through testing and certification support.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.