Sourcing monitors, projectors and signage from China
Monitors and projectors from China pay 0% UK duty when designed to connect to a computer, and 14% when not, which includes televisions and most other video monitors, with no anti-dumping duty. Televisions, monitors and digital signage displays must meet the ecodesign display requirements; projectors are outside them. Cambridge China Bridge sources own-brand and commercial displays.
Monitors that connect to a computer pay 0% UK duty from China; other monitors, projectors and TVs pay 14%. The ecodesign display rules and panel checks.
Zero or 14%: the computer connection decides
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, monitors capable of directly connecting to and designed for use with a computer carried 0% duty on goods from China, and so did projectors of that kind. Other monitors, other projectors and LCD televisions carried 14%. No line carried an anti-dumping measure.
The difference is fourteen points on the same panel, and it turns on design and function rather than on the name in the listing. A digital signage screen with a computer input may classify one way and a screen with a tuner another, so confirm the commodity code against the actual inputs and features before quoting a landed price.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitors of a kind used solely or principally with a computer | 8528 52 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Other monitors able to connect to a computer, LCD | 8528 52 91 00 | 0% | None |
| Other monitors | 8528 59 00 90 | 14% | None |
| Projectors able to connect to and designed for a computer | 8528 62 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Other colour projectors | 8528 69 80 90 | 14% | None |
| Televisions with an LCD screen | 8528 72 40 00 | 14% | None |
The ecodesign rules for displays
Regulation 39 of the Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information Regulations 2021 applies the display rules to electronic displays including televisions, monitors and digital signage displays, and regulation 40 requires them to meet the ecodesign requirements in Schedule 19 when they are placed on the market. Displays with a screen area of 100 square centimetres or less are outside the rules, and so are projectors, all-in-one video conference systems, medical displays, virtual reality headsets, displays that are components or integrated into other products, and industrial displays.
Ask the factory for a test report against those requirements for each model, and keep it with the technical file. As electrical equipment, displays also bring WEEE obligations, and a smart display that connects to the internet falls under the PSTI rules.
Panel grade and pixel policy
Two monitors with the same size and resolution can use very different panels. Name the panel maker and grade in the specification, and agree a pixel defect policy in writing, how many bright or dark pixels are acceptable, before production. Backlight bleed and colour uniformity are the other visible faults, and all three are checked at inspection on powered units.
For digital signage, ask for brightness, operating hours per day and the rated lifetime, and test a screen for heat in its enclosure, because a panel sold for home use fails early when run all day in a shop window.
Packing and freight
Large screens break in transit more often than they fail in use. Agree the carton strength and foam, the orientation marks and the stacking limit, and check them at the container loading.
Cambridge China Bridge sources own-brand monitors, projectors and commercial display screens to a written specification, checks the classification and ecodesign evidence, and inspects powered units before shipment. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on monitors from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, monitors designed to connect to a computer carried 0% duty from China, and other monitors 14%, with no anti-dumping duty.
Why do some screens pay 14% duty?
Monitors and projectors not designed for use with a computer, and televisions, carried 14% on 25 September 2026. The inputs and features decide the code.
Do monitors need to meet ecodesign rules in the UK?
Yes. Regulation 39 of the 2021 Ecodesign Regulations covers televisions, monitors and digital signage displays; projectors and displays of 100 cm2 or less are excluded.
How are dead pixels handled when buying screens?
Agree a written pixel defect policy with the factory before production, and check powered units against it at inspection.