Sourcing mechanical oven timers from China
Mechanical oven timer switches with a clock movement or synchronous motor carry 4% UK duty from China, with no trade remedy recorded. Mains timers need electrical safety evidence; establish the compliance approach for separately sold components before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources mechanical oven timer switches.
4% duty on mechanical oven timer switches
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 9107 covers time switches with clock or watch movement or with synchronous motor. The supplied tariff extract contains only commodity code 9107 00 00 90, carrying 4% duty for goods from China. It records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.
The tariff extract also attaches a DCMS Export Licence entry, with a waiver note for recently manufactured goods. Official guidance says there are no licensing requirements for importing objects of cultural interest into Great Britain. Ask your customs broker to confirm how this export entry affects the declaration for your shipment.
Confirm the commodity code using the timing mechanism and switching function, rather than the supplier's oven-parts description. See mechanical defrost timers for another product family within this heading. The table contains only the relevant line supplied in the tariff facts.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical oven timer switches with clock movement or synchronous motor | 9107 00 00 90 | 4% | None |
Specify the shaft, contacts and oven environment
State whether the timer uses a spring-driven clock movement or a synchronous motor. Specify the timing range, acceptable timing error, winding direction, shaft shape and length, mounting arrangement, terminal layout and contact sequence. Clarify whether expiry opens the heating circuit, sounds a bell or performs both functions, and whether continuous operation is available.
Agree the heater load, contact rating, supply characteristics where applicable and temperature around the installed timer. Request a drawing and a sample fitted to the intended oven panel. Components sold separately can constitute fully manufactured products in their own right. Establish the applicable electrical safety assessment with your testing adviser, including CE or UKCA marking, conformity documents and importer identification where applicable. See testing and certification.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5,000 mechanical oven timer switches; values are illustrative under 9107 00 00 90, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £41,500. Duty at 4% is £1,660. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £43,160, so it is £8,632. Import taxes total £10,292; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,660 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Fit: compare shaft profile, protrusion, mounting holes, terminals and knob alignment with the approved drawing and oven panel.
Timing: test across the agreed dial positions, compare elapsed time with a reference clock, and check repeatability, winding feel and the expiry action.
Switching: verify the contact sequence and continuous-operation position where fitted; test samples with the agreed heater load and installed temperature conditions.
Documents and packing: match model markings and electrical safety reports to the shipped timer; check wiring information, English instructions and protection against bent shafts. Use the quality inspection guide to agree the inspection scope.
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What goes wrong
A timer can fit the panel yet have a different contact sequence, leaving the heater circuit closed when the dial expires. Other failure points include slipping knobs, stiff winding, inconsistent timing and contacts that overheat under the intended load. Check the actual circuit behaviour rather than relying on the bell or dial movement.
Do not accept a replacement solely because its casing resembles the original. Approve the terminal drawing, shaft fit and loaded sample before production, then compare incoming batches with that sample. A report for a different contact rating or housing does not establish the performance of the ordered model.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on mechanical oven timer switches from China?
The supplied tariff facts show 4% for 9107 00 00 90, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. This applies to timers with clock movement or synchronous motor.
Can I use the same code for an electronic oven timer?
Do not assume so. The heading covers clock movements and synchronous motors. Timers without either mechanism may fall under heading 8536; confirm the design before declaring the goods.
Does a replacement oven timer need CE or UKCA marking?
Establish the applicable requirements for its intended supply and use. Separately sold components can be products in their own right. Where electrical safety marking applies in Great Britain, confirm with OPSS whether CE or UKCA marking is appropriate for the timer.
What should I test before ordering oven timer switches?
Check shaft and panel fit, terminal layout, contact sequence, timing repeatability and expiry behaviour. Test the intended heater load under the agreed installed temperature conditions.