Sourcing powered roller conveyors from China
Powered roller conveyors from China carry 0% ordinary UK duty under 8428 39 20 00, with no listed trade remedy. Before placing complete machinery on the Great Britain market, check its conformity declaration, CE or UKCA marking and English instructions. Cambridge China Bridge sources powered roller conveyors.
UK duty on powered roller conveyors
Heading 8428 covers lifting, handling, loading and unloading machinery. Its roller conveyor line is 8428 39 20 00. The comparison rows cover neighbouring conveyor categories; they are not alternative codes to choose solely because a conveyor has a motor.
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 3 October 2026, the roller conveyor line carried 0% ordinary duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or import control. The comparison lines also carried 0%. Measures attached to other machinery within the heading should not be applied to this roller conveyor line.
Confirm the commodity code against the complete machine specification, especially where an order includes separate transfer equipment. For belts supplied separately, see conveyor belts and V-belts.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roller conveyors, including powered roller conveyors | 8428 39 20 00 | 0% | None |
| Belt conveyors, for comparison with belt transfer sections | 8428 33 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Other continuous-action conveyors, excluding roller and belt types | 8428 39 90 00 | 0% | None |
| Continuous-action conveyors specially designed for underground use | 8428 31 00 00 | 0% | None |
Specify the rollers, loads and accumulation
Describe the smallest carton footprint, largest load, underside condition and intended throughput. Agree usable width, roller diameter and pitch, conveying height, frame material, support positions and transfer gaps. Specify whether the conveyor moves cartons continuously or holds them in independently controlled accumulation zones.
Name the drive arrangement, motor and controller makers, supply voltage, phase and frequency. Agree sensor positions, zone release logic, behaviour when the downstream conveyor stops, and the interfaces to adjoining equipment. Ask for a loaded factory test using representative cartons, including soft or uneven bases.
For complete machinery placed on the Great Britain market, confirm the applicable requirements for a technical file, conformity assessment, a declaration of conformity, marking and English instructions with the relevant authority, including whether the CE or UKCA route is appropriate. Agree who supplies the completed installation's documents and who commissions it. Subsequent workplace use and maintenance are covered by the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: An illustrative powered roller conveyor installation for a small warehouse under 8428 39 20 00, invoiced at £8,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,200, so it is £1,840. 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
Rollers and frame: check pitch, usable width, level, alignment and support positions against the drawing. On arrival, look for bent shafts, damaged bearings and loose frame joints.
Loaded operation: run representative cartons through transfers and accumulation zones. Check slipping, skewing, unwanted contact between queued cartons and reliable restart after a downstream stoppage.
Safety and wiring: have a competent person check guards, emergency stops, maintenance isolation, cable routing and the agreed electrical supply. Inspect the actual production machine before shipment.
Documents and spares: match the declaration, marking and English manual to the supplied configuration. Check electrical diagrams, sensor settings and replacement roller details against the packing list. Use an agreed inspection checklist.
What goes wrong
A conveyor can run empty yet stall under load. Excessive roller spacing can leave small cartons unsupported, while uneven bases can lose traction. Poorly aligned transfers catch cartons; accumulation logic that releases loads into a blocked zone can crush packaging. Make these scenarios part of the acceptance test.
Component substitutions can change drive performance or controller compatibility. Guards omitted around drives, inaccessible isolation and documents for a different configuration create further problems. Record the agreed build and test results before paying the balance, and repeat functional checks after installation.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on powered roller conveyors from China?
The supplied tariff data shows 0% ordinary duty under 8428 39 20 00, with no listed trade remedy, suspension or import control. Confirm the code against the machine specification.
Is a CE certificate enough for a powered roller conveyor?
Ask for the declaration of conformity for the supplied configuration, the English instructions and matching marking. Confirm the applicable technical file and conformity assessment requirements with the relevant authority.
How do I choose roller spacing for cartons?
Give the factory your smallest carton footprint, load and underside condition. Agree the pitch in the drawing and test representative cartons through the complete conveyor, including transfers.
What should I test before shipment?
Test under representative loads, including accumulation, downstream stoppages, zone release and transfers. Check guards, emergency stops, wiring, documents and the actual components fitted.