Sourcing plastic bottle blow moulds from China

Duty on bottle blow moulds

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, all supplied lines of heading 8480 carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied data lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls. This heading covers moulds and related tooling; the table distinguishes blow moulds from separately ordered bottle-preform injection moulds and mould bases.

For a bottle blow mould, start with 8480 79 00 00, the line for other moulds for rubber or plastics. Confirm the commodity code against the actual tooling and forming process. The glass bottle moulds guide provides related coverage within the wider heading.

If your mould remains in China to produce bottles you import, confirm with HMRC or your customs broker how tooling costs not already included in the seller's price should be treated in those goods' customs value. Keep the tooling invoice and the method used to apportion its cost across shipments.

Specify the bottle and machine interface

State whether the mould is for extrusion or stretch blow moulding. Supply the bottle drawing, resin specification, neck finish, closure drawing and approved bottle sample. Agree cavity material, surface finish, engraving, split-line position, base shape and acceptable bottle dimensions.

Give the factory the machine model and mounting drawings, including mould envelope, fixing positions, opening movement and cooling connections. For extrusion tooling, agree pinch-off and trimming arrangements; for stretch blowing, agree the base insert and preform compatibility. Record ownership, exclusive use, maintenance responsibility and removal terms.

Workplace-product supply obligations include safe-use information, instructions, necessary testing or examination, and subsequent safety-information revisions. Ask for handling, fitting, cooling, cleaning and maintenance instructions for the supplied tool. Agree trial approval using your intended resin and machine settings.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: An illustrative order of bottle blow mould tooling for a small bottling business under 8480 79 00 00, invoiced at £20,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £22,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £22,000, so it is £4,400. 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

Machine fit: compare mounting faces, fixing positions, mould envelope and cooling connections with the approved interface drawings before dispatch and on arrival.

Cavities and cooling: check material records, cavity finish, vent cleanliness and insert seating; pressure-test each cooling circuit for leaks.

Trial bottles: measure neck, body and base against the drawing; check closure fit, leakage, stability, split-line marks and wall distribution under recorded process settings.

Arrival condition: inspect for corrosion, damaged cavity edges and blocked ports; match tool identification, loose inserts, spares and drawings to the packing list.

What goes wrong

A mould can reproduce the bottle shape yet fail to fit the buyer's machine. Missing interface drawings leave mounting, cooling connections or opening clearance unresolved. Uneven cooling, poor venting or damaged split faces can produce distorted bottles and visible seams.

Approval based only on photographs misses closure leakage, unstable bases and uneven walls. Approve measured trial bottles made with the intended material and recorded settings, then check the arriving tool against that approval. Where the mould stays at the factory, settle ownership and removal terms before payment.

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.