Sourcing multihead combination weighers from China

Duty and classification for combination weighers

Heading 8423 covers weighing machinery and its parts. For an electronic multihead combination weigher that discharges a predetermined weight into a bag or container, start with 8423 30 10 00. The table also shows the related non-electronic filling line and parts lines; these are separate descriptions, not interchangeable codes for the same machine.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, all listed lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls. Import VAT is normally 20%; see UK import duty and VAT.

Confirm the commodity code using the weighing method, discharge function and whether the shipment contains a complete machine or separately supplied parts. Describe any bagging equipment included in the shipment. See weighing and bagging machines for the wider guide.

Specify the hoppers, product flow and discharge

Specify your product's size, shape, stickiness, fragility and condition, together with target portion weights, acceptable variation and output at those weights. Agree the hopper arrangement, feeder trays, contact-surface finish and discharge chute. Ask the factory to demonstrate combinations using your actual product, including difficult portions and changes between recipes.

Define the connection to the bagger, discharge timing, installation height, support structure, power supply and cleaning method. List removable contact parts, seals, load cells and controller spares. For food handling, contact materials must meet the applicable food-contact framework requirements; ask for evidence covering the actual materials and intended use.

For trade-use instruments, confirm with the relevant market surveillance authority which measuring-instrument conformity assessment requirements apply before sale or use in Great Britain. Check the declaration, conformity marking, metrology marking and applicable English operating information. The metrology marking remains required with either CE or UKCA. Also confirm the machinery safety requirements for conformity assessment, a declaration and relevant marking. Arrange testing and certification for the intended configuration.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: a multihead combination weigher for a small packing business under 8423 30 10 00, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £2,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £32,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £32,200, so it is £6,440. 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

Portion performance: independently weigh discharged portions using your actual product at the agreed output; record variation, excess fill, missed discharges and product damage.

Hoppers and cleaning: check gate closure, sticking product, removable parts, trapped residue, surface finish and seals against the agreed cleaning method.

Integration and arrival: check bagger signals, discharge timing, support stability, guards, emergency stops, transport damage and loose connections; repeat the agreed trial after installation.

Documents and identity: match the machine, load cells and controller to the supplied documents and markings. Include these checks in the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A demonstration with free-flowing granules can conceal problems with sticky, irregular or fragile products. Uneven feeding leaves hoppers starved or overloaded, residue changes the effective tare, and late gate closure can leave material for the next portion. A machine may reach the claimed output only by accepting excess fill or product damage.

Vibration from the support structure or adjacent equipment can disturb weighing. Poor discharge timing can send product into a closing bag, while inaccessible corners slow cleaning. Retain the accepted product trial, recipes, configuration and document set, then compare the delivered machine against them.

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.