Sourcing pneumatic nail guns from China

UK duty on pneumatic nail guns

Heading 8467 covers hand-held pneumatic, hydraulic and motor-driven tools. Pneumatic nail guns sit within other pneumatic tools, code 8467 19 00 00. Framing, finishing and coil-fed variants share this tariff line; the table distinguishes buying specifications, not separate tariff subdivisions. Pneumatic-tool parts have code 8467 92 00 00.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 7 October 2026, both relevant lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duties, suspensions or attached import controls for these lines. Product safety checks remain necessary.

Confirm the operating mechanism and whether the shipment contains complete tools or separately imported parts before choosing the code. Use finding your commodity code and the wider hand-held power tools guide.

Specify the fastener, firing mode and air supply

State the intended timber, joint and application. Specify nail length range, shank and head form, collation angle, strip or coil feed, magazine capacity and depth adjustment. Send samples of the actual fasteners and work material for a production-representative trial.

Agree the firing mode explicitly. For framing work, specify a trigger that must be released before another nail can be fired. Record the supplier's operating pressure, air consumption, inlet fitting, hose compatibility and lubrication instructions. Confirm availability of drivers, seals and magazine components.

For Great Britain supply, obtain the exact model's declaration of conformity, English instructions, conformity marking and technical evidence. The machinery technical file must be compiled and available on request. Use testing and certification support to check the evidence against the supplied configuration.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 52 pneumatic finishing nail guns; illustrative order under 8467 19 00 00, invoiced at £2,025 free on board, with £468 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,493. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,493, so it is £498.60. 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

Identity: match the tool, packaging, declaration and instructions to the ordered model and firing configuration.

Controls: have a competent tester verify trigger reset, nose-contact operation and depth adjustment against the agreed specification. Safety features must not be defeated or disconnected.

Fastener feed: trial the specified nails on the intended timber; record jams, bent nails, inconsistent depth and surface damage.

Air system: check inlet compatibility, leaks, exhaust direction and performance with the agreed supply. Inspect spare seals and drivers against the approved sample.

What goes wrong

A magazine may accept a nail strip yet feed it poorly because the collation angle or head form differs. An unsuitable air supply can make driving depth inconsistent. Put the fastener specification and loaded trial conditions in the order so a demonstration with different nails does not become the acceptance test.

A changed trigger assembly can alter firing behaviour, while documents for a similar model leave the delivered configuration unchecked. Workers need training before operating nail guns. For tools used by employees, assess workplace noise and vibration separately from the manufacturer's declared laboratory values.

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.