Metal sawing and gear machines from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, machine tools for planing, shaping, slotting, broaching, gear cutting, gear grinding or gear finishing, sawing, cutting-off and other machine tools working by removing metal not elsewhere specified, heading 8461, carried 0% on goods from China on all fourteen lines, with no anti-dumping measure.

Saw blades are classified under heading 8202 (see our drill bits and saw blades guide), and woodworking saws under 8465 (see our woodworking machines guide). Confirm the commodity code from the process and the material cut.

Machinery rules

Each machine placed on the UK market must meet the essential health and safety requirements of the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, with a declaration of conformity, marking and instructions in English. The type standard for sawing machines for cold metal is BS EN ISO 16093, covering blade guarding, workpiece clamping and control functions.

At work, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 apply to the machine in use, so blade guarding and training remain the user's duty once it is installed.

Specifying a machine

For saws, specify cutting capacity for round, square and bundled stock, blade size and speed range, mitre range, feed and clamping (manual, semi-automatic or automatic with bar feed), coolant and chip removal. For gear machines, specify module and diameter range, gear types, cutting method, accuracy grade to be demonstrated on a test gear and the control. Add the voltage and supply.

Worked duty example

For a made-up shipment of 10 semi-automatic metal band sawing machines under 8461 50 19 00, add the £4,000 of freight and insurance to the £42,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £46,000. Duty on band sawing machines is zero, leaving import VAT of £9,200, 20% of the customs value. For a VAT-registered buyer that is a cash-flow cost rather than a lasting one. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.

Inspection checklist

Cutting test: cut the agreed stock at the factory and check cut squareness, length accuracy on automatic saws and blade tracking, or cut a test gear and measure it against the accuracy grade in the contract, for example by the methods of ISO 1328-1.

Guarding and clamping: check blade guards, vice clamping and interlocks against BS EN ISO 16093 on saws, test every emergency stop, and check the electrical panel against BS EN 60204-1.

Documents and spares: check the declaration of conformity, English manual, wiring diagrams, spare blades or cutters and spares list before crating, and check the machine is locked and braced for shipping.

What goes wrong

Metal sawing and gear machines fail on accuracy, guarding and controls. Band saws cut out of square because blade guides are poorly set, vices do not clamp bundles securely, gear machines cannot hold the promised accuracy grade, blade guards and interlocks are missing on export models, and controls differ from the ones quoted.

Run a cutting test on your own stock or gear, lock and brace the machine for shipping, and repeat the test after installation. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources metal sawing and gear machines for UK fabricators, stockholders and gear shops, checking the builder's assembly and inspection capability before an order. See factory verification.