Sourcing pressure decay leak testers from China

Duty on pressure decay leak testers

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 October 2026, heading 9031 covers measuring or checking equipment not specified elsewhere in the chapter. For pressure decay equipment, checking instruments, test benches and dedicated parts are candidate lines. The table repeats the checking-instrument line for standalone testers and checking modules; these are product forms, not separate tariff subdivisions.

For goods from China, 9031 80 80 00 and 9031 90 00 00 carry 0% duty; test benches under 9031 20 00 00 carry 2%. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing measures or suspensions. It attaches a fluorinated greenhouse gas import control to the checking-instrument and parts lines. Confirm the applicable declaration requirement with your customs broker; the supplied control text does not establish the requirement for an air-operated tester.

Classification depends on the supplied equipment and its function, not its sales name. Send the manual, operating principle and bench configuration to your broker and confirm the commodity code. Instruments specified elsewhere may fall outside this heading. See the wider measuring and inspection equipment guide.

Specify the pressure decay test cycle

Specify the parts, internal volume, test medium, pressure range, fill time, stabilisation time, measurement time and rejection threshold. State whether the result is pressure loss or a calculated leak rate, and agree the units and conversion assumptions. Include fixtures, seals, connection sizes, air preparation, venting and stored test recipes in the order.

Agree acceptance using your own sound and leaking parts and a calibrated reference leak suitable for the test conditions. Ask for repeatability results, calibration evidence, raw readings and report exports. For powered equipment and benches, obtain applicable electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility and machinery conformity evidence with CE or UKCA marking. Under electromagnetic compatibility guidance, the manufacturer must supply relevant instructions in English.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of four standalone pressure decay leak testers under 9031 80 80 00, invoiced at £10,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £10,900. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £10,900, so it is £2,180. 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

Test circuit: check fixture seals, tubing, isolation valves and connections for leakage before judging the workpiece.

Performance: repeat the agreed cycle on sound parts, leaking parts and the reference leak; compare readings and pass or fail decisions with the agreed acceptance criteria.

Controls: check recipe selection, protected settings, missing-part detection, reject outputs and safe venting; test guards and interlocks where fitted.

Arrival and documents: inspect connectors and fixtures for transit damage, match model identification to conformity and calibration documents, and repeat acceptance after installation. Use the inspection guide to agree the evidence.

What goes wrong

A leaking fixture can make a sound part fail. Temperature changes after filling, flexible parts and insufficient stabilisation can also change pressure without a workpiece leak. Agree the test conditions and demonstrate that the fixture itself holds pressure. Do not accept a display resolution claim as proof that the tester reliably distinguishes acceptable parts from rejects.

A factory demonstration can conceal unsuitable fixtures, changed recipes or results that cannot be exported. Witness testing with your parts, retain the settings and raw results, and repeat it at your site. Ask the supplier to identify any fluorinated gas in the supplied equipment or accessories. Equipment containing banned fluorinated gases must not be placed on the Great Britain market.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For components and parts, see sourcing for manufacturers.