Pulp and paper-making machines from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, machinery for making pulp of fibrous cellulosic material or for making or finishing paper or paperboard, heading 8439, carried 0% on goods from China on all six lines, including parts, with no anti-dumping measure.

Machines that convert paper into products, such as bag and box machines, are in heading 8441 (see our paper converting machines guide), and dryers used on their own may fall under 8419. Confirm the commodity code for each section of a line.

Machinery rules

Machinery placed on the UK market must meet the essential health and safety requirements of the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, with a declaration of conformity, marking and instructions in English. The BS EN 1034 series sets safety requirements for machines that make and finish paper, starting with common requirements in part 1.

A paper line is an assembly of machines, so the conformity assessment must cover the whole line, and in-running nips, rolls and reel handling need guarding designed for the complete installation.

Specifying a line

Specify the paper grade and basis weight range, trim width, design and working speed, daily output, raw material (virgin pulp, recycled fibre or other), stock preparation, forming section, press and dryer sections, energy and steam use, drive and control system, and the spares, commissioning and training package.

Worked duty example

For a made-up shipment of one tissue paper machine line under 8439 20 00 00, add the £60,000 of freight and insurance to the £1,200,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £1,260,000. Duty on paper machines is zero, leaving import VAT of £252,000, 20% of the customs value. For a VAT-registered buyer that is a cash-flow cost rather than a lasting one. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.

Inspection checklist

Build quality: check roll dimensions, balance reports and surface finish, welds on pressure-bearing parts and dryer cylinders against the design code named in the contract, and check key bought-in parts such as drives and bearings match the specification.

Safety: check nip guards, reel handling and access platforms against BS EN 1034-1, test emergency stops on each section, and check the electrical panels against BS EN 60204-1.

Acceptance plan: agree the performance guarantee, such as output, basis weight and speed, and how it will be tested after commissioning, and check documents, drawings and spares lists before shipment.

What goes wrong

Paper machinery fails on performance, pressure parts and commissioning. Lines do not reach the guaranteed speed or output on your fibre, dryer cylinders or steam parts lack the certification the site needs, drive and control parts are hard to replace, and commissioning takes much longer than planned.

Put performance guarantees and acceptance tests in the contract, confirm certification for pressure parts, and plan commissioning support before shipment. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources pulp, tissue and paper machinery and spare parts for mills in the UK and overseas, checking the builder's references and workshop before an order. See factory verification.