Sourcing drum spiders from China

UK duty on replacement drum spiders

Heading 8450 covers household or laundry-type washing machines, including washer-dryers, and their parts. Replacement drum spiders are the supports connecting the drum to its shaft. The relevant supplied parts line is 8450 90 00 00. The table shows product variants sharing that code. See the washing-machine drum guide for the wider drum assembly.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the supplied parts line carries 2% duty for goods from China. The data lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls. Every supplied line under this heading has the same duty rate.

Give your customs broker the drawing, material specification, intended washing-machine models and details of any fitted shaft to confirm the commodity code. Keep the invoice description specific to replacement drum spiders. For the calculation method, see UK import duty and VAT.

Specify the spider, shaft and model fit

Specify the appliance model and production variant, original part reference, arm geometry, mounting-hole positions and drum attachment method. Provide a dimensioned drawing and an approved physical sample. State whether the shaft is included, together with its bearing seats, seal running surface, pulley connection and thread details. Similar-looking spiders can have different mounting offsets.

Agree the casting alloy, surface treatment, machining tolerances and shaft attachment method. Ask for material records and sample checks for casting defects, corrosion resistance and loaded operation in the intended machine. Consumer products supplied in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use under the general product safety regulations. Use the fit and operating checks to support the proposed replacement's suitability.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 400 replacement washing-machine drum spiders with fitted shafts under 8450 90 00 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £1,320 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £7,320. Duty at 2% is £146.40. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,466.40, so it is £1,493.28. Import taxes total £1,639.68; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £146.40 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity and fit: match the part reference and agreed model list, then trial-fit samples to the intended drum, bearings, seal and pulley.

Casting and finish: check arm roots and mounting bosses for cracks, porosity, distortion, burrs and incomplete surface treatment; compare material records with the agreed specification.

Shaft and alignment: measure bearing seats, seal surface, threads and mounting offsets; check shaft runout and drum alignment against the approved drawing.

Operation and packing: run a repaired sample through loaded wash and spin cycles, checking vibration, rubbing and leakage. Protect shafts and arms in transit and match carton identification to the order at inspection.

What goes wrong

A spider can bolt onto the drum yet place the shaft incorrectly relative to the bearings or seal. The result can be rubbing, leakage or vibration during spin. A model name alone is a weak purchasing specification: compare the actual mounting geometry and shaft dimensions before approving the sample.

Casting defects at the arm roots, corrosion and a poorly secured shaft can undermine the repair. Packing can also bend arms or damage machined surfaces. Agree acceptance criteria before production, retain an approved sample and review any change to the alloy, tooling or shaft attachment.

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.