Sourcing Rim Door Locks from China

Rim-lock duty and classification

Heading 8301 covers base-metal locks, locking clasps and keys. This guide concerns mechanical rim door locks mounted on the door surface, including nightlatches and rim deadlocks, plus their parts and separately supplied keys. The building-door lines distinguish cylinder locks from other locks.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, the relevant lines shown here carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied records show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspensions or attached import controls on these lines. Elsewhere in the heading, locking clasps have torture-and-repression controls and a specialised keyboard-parts line has a supplementary-unit control; confirm those requirements with your customs broker if your goods fall there.

Confirm the commodity code from the mechanism and whether you import complete locks, parts or separate keys. For the wider heading context, see mortice door locks. Zero duty does not remove import VAT; see UK import duty and VAT. For sliding doors, see our sliding door hook lock sourcing guide.

Specify the rim case, cylinder and keep together

Specify nightlatch or deadlock operation, backset, case footprint, fixing centres, door thickness, opening direction and latch handing. Agree cylinder length, tailpiece dimensions, keep position, bolt travel and supplied fixings. Provide a door drawing and approve an assembled sample fitted to the intended door rather than approving loose components. For hotel card-access models, see our hotel RFID door lock sourcing guide.

Define the case, cylinder and bolt materials, finish, key quantity and keyed-alike or keyed-different plan. Check any claimed security certificate against the exact model. For fire-door use, request evidence covering the door assembly rather than relying on a lock certificate alone.

Consumer rim locks supplied in Great Britain must be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Assess sharp edges, loose components and risks arising from the intended operation. Agree fitting instructions and retain the assessment with the approved specification; testing and certification support can help organise the evidence.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative wholesale order of mechanical rim cylinder lock sets under 8301 40 11 00, invoiced at £38,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £40,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £40,500, so it is £8,100. 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

Fit: measure backset, fixing centres and cylinder projection; assemble the lock and keep on a representative door and check clearance.

Operation: check latch reversal where specified, bolt engagement, inside release and each supplied key with the keep fitted.

Materials and finish: compare production pieces with the agreed materials and approved sample; inspect plating, burrs and loose fixings.

Pack contents: check cylinders, keeps, screws, keys and fitting instructions against the packing list, and record batch identity at inspection.

What goes wrong

A rim case can match the drawing while its keep leaves the bolt only partly engaged. A cylinder tailpiece can bind against the case, or the supplied screws can be unsuitable for the intended door. Test the complete assembly after fitting, including operation with the door closed.

Unapproved material substitutions, weak return springs and mixed keying spoil repeat orders. Keep the approved sample and key plan, compare arrival samples with them, and investigate binding or unreliable release before supplying the batch.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.