Sourcing marine propeller nozzles from China

Zero duty where heading 8487 applies

Heading 8487 covers machinery parts without electrical features that are not specified elsewhere. It is a residual heading, rather than a general code for every marine component. For nozzle shells and associated parts, the table shows candidate material lines, subject to classification confirmation. The propeller and blade lines do not describe the surrounding duct. See the wider propellers and machinery parts guide.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, all selected lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, steel measure, suspension or attached import control for these lines. This describes the recorded tariff measures, rather than approval to install a nozzle on a vessel.

Confirm the commodity code with your customs broker using the drawing, material, manufacturing process and intended function. Identify whether the shipment contains a nozzle shell, mounting parts or a complete propulsion assembly. Use the confirmed code on the import declaration.

Duct profile, blade clearance and mounting

Specify whether the nozzle is fixed or steerable. Supply the internal profile, throat diameter, axial length, wall thickness, propeller position and blade-tip clearance on the drawing. Define mounting faces, bracket locations and, for a steerable nozzle, pivot interfaces. Have the vessel designer review the geometry and supporting structure before approving production.

Name the shell material, inner liner material, corrosion protection and weld acceptance criteria. Agree material traceability, dimensional reports and weld examination before ordering. Ask the vessel designer or surveyor which approval documents they expect for the installation, then include those documents in the purchase specification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 40 small fabricated steel marine propeller nozzle shells, assuming this code is confirmed under 8487 90 59 90, invoiced at £28,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £32,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £32,000, so it is £6,400. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Geometry: measure the internal profile, roundness and mounting alignment against the approved drawing. Check the intended blade-tip clearance using the matching propeller geometry.

Materials: match shell and liner certificates to the component markings. Check material grade, wall thickness and the agreed corrosion protection.

Welds: inspect seams and bracket welds for cracks, undercut and distortion. Review the agreed weld examination records before accepting coating that conceals the joints.

Arrival and packing: check for dents, ovality, damaged mounting faces and loose supports after unpacking. Solid wood packaging used to import into Great Britain must meet the international phytosanitary packaging standard. Put this requirement in the packing specification.

What goes wrong

Welding can pull the shell out of round or move the mounting brackets. A nozzle that matches the nominal diameter can still have the wrong internal profile or insufficient blade clearance. Liner substitution and coating over poorly prepared welds can leave corrosion problems hidden at delivery.

Approve a dimensional report after welding and before shipment, with photographs linking the measurements to the actual nozzle. Support the shell during transport without loading its thin edges. Record arrival damage before installation and agree the inspection scope before the order.

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.