Sourcing road marking trucks from China

UK duty and controls for road marking trucks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 8705 covers special purpose motor vehicles principally designed for functions other than carrying people or goods. For a complete purpose-built road marking truck, check the residual line 8705 90 80 00. The table shows equipment configurations sharing that candidate code, rather than separate tariff subdivisions. For the wider heading, see our road sweeper trucks guide.

The supplied tariff record shows 0% duty for goods from China, no anti-dumping or countervailing measures and no suspensions. It attaches fluorinated greenhouse gas and waste import controls. Vehicle air-conditioning is included in pre-charged equipment guidance, and equipment placed on the market must comply with product bans. Obtain refrigerant details and confirm the applicable import requirements with your customs broker. For waste imports into England under notification controls, the exporter must obtain consent from the dispatch-country authority.

Ask your broker to confirm whether the waste control applies to the actual vehicle, especially a damaged or dismantling purchase. The record also lists cultural-goods and waste export controls; confirm these before any later export. Supply chassis details, equipment drawings and intended use to confirm your commodity code. A truck carrying removable marking machines needs its own classification review. The duty and VAT guide explains the separate tax calculation.

Specify the chassis and marking process together

Specify cold paint, thermoplastic or plural-component application, then name the coating and glass beads you will use. Agree line width, film thickness, continuous and broken-line operation, application side, working speed, bead distribution and cleaning method. For heated equipment, specify temperature control, agitation and shutdown behaviour. Ask the builder to demonstrate the proposed materials rather than substitute a coating that is easier to spray.

Agree chassis model, steering side, emissions evidence, axle loading with tanks filled, mounting layout and access for maintenance. Unless exempt, road use in Great Britain needs vehicle approval before first registration. Confirm the route for the completed vehicle before ordering. New marking machinery must be safe before being placed on the Great Britain market or put into service. Ask for its conformity evidence, English instructions, isolation arrangements and spare-parts list.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: A complete road marking truck for a contractor, illustrative only under 8705 90 80 00, invoiced at £185,000 free on board, with £9,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £194,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £194,500, so it is £38,900. 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

Marking result: witness application with the agreed coating and beads; measure line width and thickness, check edges, broken-line spacing and bead distribution, and retain the settings and sample results.

Material system: check tank cleanliness, agitation, pump delivery, hose compatibility and leaks; test heating controls where fitted, spray shut-off, flushing and restart after a pause.

Chassis and mounting: match vehicle identity and equipment serial details to the documents; check lights, mirrors, mounting security, hose routing and the loaded axle assessment against the agreed approval route.

Arrival and support: inspect for transit damage and contamination before commissioning; check guards, emergency stops, isolation, instructions and supplied spares. Use the same acceptance record described in our quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A factory demonstration can hide problems if it uses a different coating, clean water or an unrepresentative working speed. Reject acceptance based solely on a running pump. Uneven bead delivery, drifting line width, poor spray shut-off and awkward flushing should be tested with the materials and settings written into the order.

A chassis certificate alone may leave the completed vehicle's approval route unresolved. Added tanks and equipment can also change loading and maintenance access. Match the documents to the shipped configuration, agree responsibility for approval work and confirm replacement pumps, seals, nozzles and control components before dispatch.

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.