Sourcing radial drilling machines from China

UK duty on radial drilling machines

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 October 2026, heading 8459 covers machine tools that remove metal by drilling, boring, milling, threading or tapping. This guide covers radial drilling machines, whose spindle head moves along an arm around a column. See the drilling and milling machines guide for the wider heading.

The drilling lines carry 2% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff data lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duties, suspensions or attached import controls on these lines. The table repeats the relevant codes for different clamping arrangements; hydraulic clamping alone does not make a machine numerically controlled.

Conventional radial drills fall under 8459 29 00 00; numerically controlled drilling machines use 8459 21 00 00. Confirm the commodity code against the actual functions and control system before shipment.

Specify arm reach, clamping and drilling capacity

Specify spindle-to-column reach, arm lifting range, spindle-to-base clearance, working table dimensions and drilling capacity in the intended material. Record spindle taper, quill travel, speed and feed ranges, tapping function, coolant system, supply voltage and phase. Agree whether column, arm and head clamping are manual or hydraulic.

Choose a representative workpiece and agree hole diameter, position, squareness and finish for acceptance. Ask the factory to demonstrate drilling with the head near the outer end of the arm, where rigidity matters. Include lifting arrangements, installation instructions, wiring diagrams and the spare parts list in the purchase specification.

For new machines supplied in Great Britain, confirm the applicable machinery supply safety requirements, declaration of conformity and English instruction requirements with the relevant authority. CE or UKCA marking can be used for the Great Britain market. Check the documents against the exact machine supplied, rather than accepting a document for a different model.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 8 radial drilling machines under 8459 29 00 00, invoiced at £96,000 free on board, with £6,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £102,000. Duty at 2% is £2,040. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £104,040, so it is £20,808. Import taxes total £22,848; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,040 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Clamping: check that the column, arm and spindle head lock securely at the agreed working positions. Operate hydraulic clamps repeatedly and inspect for leaks or movement during the agreed drilling test.

Accuracy: measure spindle run-out and spindle squareness to the working surface against the contract. Drill and measure the agreed workpiece at different arm positions, then repeat the checks after installation.

Safety and documents: inspect spindle and chuck guarding, interlocks and emergency stops. Check conformity marking, the matching declaration, English instructions and wiring diagrams before crating.

Arrival: inspect the arm, column and base for transit damage, check the supplied table and tooling against the packing list, and look for corrosion or loosened fasteners. Use the quality inspection guide to plan recorded checks.

What goes wrong

A machine can meet the quoted drilling capacity yet produce poor holes because the head or arm moves under load. Loose slides, ineffective clamps, spindle play and misalignment after transport can undermine the cutting test. A demonstration with the head close to the column may conceal problems at full working reach.

Specify an acceptance test across the intended reach, record the results and agree how the arm and head will be secured for transport. Missing guards, mismatched declarations and incomplete English instructions also need resolving before dispatch. Use factory verification to assess the builder's assembly and inspection capability.

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.