Sourcing rubber compression moulds from China

Duty on rubber compression moulds

Heading 8480 covers moulds and related tooling for several materials. Rubber compression moulds fall within 8480 71 00 00, covering injection or compression moulds for rubber or plastics. The table shows different rubber compression applications sharing this code. See injection moulds and tooling for the wider heading.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 October 2026, all supplied heading lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied data records no anti-dumping or countervailing duties, suspensions or attached import controls. This describes the tariff record, rather than approval of the tool for workplace use.

Confirm the commodity code using the material being moulded and the moulding process. If your mould stays at the Chinese factory, ask your customs broker or HMRC whether its cost not already included in the seller's price should be added to the customs value of the imported parts and how to apportion it across shipments.

Specify the rubber compound and press interface

Give the factory the finished-part drawing and intended rubber compound. Agree shrinkage allowance, cavity layout, parting line, surface finish, venting and the permitted flash. Specify steel grade, hardness, insert construction and how the cured part will be removed without tearing.

Match the mould dimensions, locating features and clamping arrangement to your press. Agree the heating arrangement and trial conditions, including charge preparation, curing and demoulding. Write ownership, exclusive use, maintenance responsibility and removal terms into the tooling agreement.

UK work equipment rules place duties on businesses that own, operate or control work equipment. Plan installation and handling with the people responsible for your press, and review access to hot surfaces, clamping points and mould lifting arrangements before use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: One rubber compression mould for gaskets, illustrative order under 8480 71 00 00, invoiced at £20,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £22,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £22,000, so it is £4,400. 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

Steel and construction: compare material certificates and hardness results with the specification; inspect inserts, locating features, parting faces and vents.

Trial parts: mould the agreed compound, measure samples against the drawing and inspect sealing faces, flash, trapped-air defects and demoulding damage. Keep the approved samples and process sheet.

Press fit: check dimensions, mounting features, heating contact and opening clearance against the receiving press. Inspect for corrosion and transport damage on arrival.

Handover: match the mould identification and ownership tag to the agreement; check drawings, maintenance instructions, trial records and the agreed spare inserts.

What goes wrong

Poor venting can leave trapped-air defects, damaged parting faces produce flash, and unsuitable shrinkage allowances put finished dimensions outside the drawing. A trial using a different compound or curing process may conceal these problems. Approve parts made with the agreed compound and recorded settings.

A mould can pass a factory trial but fail to fit your press or release the part cleanly. Resolve the press interface before machining and include demoulding in acceptance. If production stays in China, record ownership and removal terms, and keep the tooling invoice and customs-value apportionment method.

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.