Pizza ovens from China: gas, wood and electric

UK duty by type of oven

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, pizza ovens from China carried 0% or 2% duty, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty. Domestic ovens of iron or steel that burn gas, wood, charcoal or pellets fall under heading 7321 at 2%, and electric domestic ovens under 8516 60 at 2%. Commercial ovens are not domestic appliances: non-electric commercial cooking equipment under 8419 81 80 90 was 0%, and some commercial electric deck ovens are classified as bakery ovens under 8514 19 10 00, also 0%.

The type decides the code, so confirm it for each model: a dome oven made of refractory clay or stone rather than steel is classified by its material, not under 7321, and a commercial electric oven can fall under 8514 or 8516 depending on its design. For a repeat order, apply to HMRC for an Advance Tariff Ruling with the specification; see the commodity code guide.

Gas models: certification for the exact model

A gas pizza oven, domestic or commercial, is an appliance under Regulation (EU) 2016/426 on appliances burning gaseous fuels, as it applies in Great Britain; the Regulation excludes only appliances specifically designed for industrial processes on industrial premises, for aircraft and railways, or for temporary laboratory research. Before an appliance is placed on the market, Article 14 requires type-examination (Module B) by an approved body, combined with a production module (C2, D, E or F).

So ask the supplier for the approved or notified body certificate itself, and check that it names the exact model you are buying, the manufacturer you are buying from, and the gas category and supply pressure used in Great Britain. A generic "CE certificate" from a test lab that is not a notified body, or a certificate for a different model, is not enough. Annex IV requires the data plate to carry the manufacturer's name, the type or serial number, the appliance category and the nominal supply pressure, and the instructions and warnings must be in English.

Electric models, food contact and wood-fired ovens

Electric pizza ovens running at 50 to 1000 V AC are covered by the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, so they need UKCA or CE marking, a declaration of conformity and a UK plug. Stones, steel decks and peels touch food, so they must not transfer constituents to food in quantities that could endanger health, under Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004; ask for a declaration and a migration test report for the stone and any coating, see food contact materials.

Wood, charcoal and pellet ovens have no appliance-specific regime, but as consumer products they must be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005: stable, with hot-surface warnings, and with English instructions for assembly, lighting and use.

Factory or trader, and a fired sample before shipment

Many listings for pizza ovens are traders. Ask for the business licence and check that its scope covers making ovens, that the company named on the gas certificate is the one you are paying, and for a video or visit of the welding, insulation and assembly lines; see factory or trading company.

Before paying the balance, have an inspector fire a sample from the production run: for gas models, ignition, flame supervision cutting the gas when the flame goes out, a leak check on joints and a steady burner flame; for all models, the time to reach cooking temperature measured with a probe, the outer shell temperature, door fit and the data plate markings. Check the carton and packing against a drop, see our quality inspection guide.

Worked duty example

A hypothetical order, not a quote: 200 domestic gas pizza ovens under 7321 11 10 00, bought for £16,000 free on board with £2,000 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £18,000. Duty at 2% is £360, and import VAT is 20% of £18,360, which is £3,672, usually recoverable for a VAT-registered importer. See UK import duty and VAT.

Buying for the EU, for example Malta

A buyer in the EU imports under EU rules. The EU version of Regulation (EU) 2016/426 applies, with CE marking and a notified body certificate that covers the gas category of the destination country, and EU duty rates are set in the EU tariff, so the UK figures above do not apply. Sellers into the EU also need an EU-based economic operator for consumer products, see EU responsible person.

What goes wrong, and what we do

Pizza oven imports fail on the gas certificate first: a certificate for another model, a lab report presented as a notified body certificate, or a gas category that does not match the UK supply. Then come ovens that take far longer to heat than the listing claims, stones that crack, doors that leak heat, and data plates without the required markings.

Cambridge China Bridge sources pizza ovens for UK restaurants, retailers and brands, checking that the maker is a factory, that the certificates match the model, and firing a sample before shipment. See factory verification, testing and certification and small orders. Commercial kitchens are covered in catering equipment.