Sourcing security cable locks from China

Zero duty on the relevant lock lines

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 10 October 2026, heading 8301 covers base-metal padlocks and locks, locking clasps, lock parts and keys. This guide concerns mechanical security cable locks for securing equipment or belongings. The table includes possible complete-lock classifications and separately imported replacement parts and keys; it does not classify bare steel cable.

The selected lines carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control. Elsewhere in the heading, the locking-clasp line carries controls concerning goods for torture and repression. If your product falls within that line, confirm the requirements with your customs broker.

Confirm the commodity code using the complete assembly, locking mechanism and intended use rather than the supplier's product name. For bicycle applications, see the wider bicycle locks guide.

Specify the cable, lock head and equipment interface

State whether the lock secures a device slot or forms a loop around an object. Provide drawings and representative equipment for fit checks. Specify steel cable diameter separately from coated diameter, cable length, strand construction, coating material, end fittings, lock-head clearance and swivel movement.

Agree keyed-alike or keyed-different supply, replacement-key arrangements, combination reset behaviour where applicable, and the packing contents. Define pull, cutting and corrosion tests with acceptance criteria before production. Ask for evidence covering the exact assembly before accepting a security-rating claim.

For locks intended or reasonably likely to be used by consumers, the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 apply in Great Britain and require safe products. Include checks for exposed wire ends, sharp edges and trapped fingers alongside security testing.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative batch of keyed security cable locks for a business equipment retailer under 8301 40 90 00, invoiced at £5,200 free on board, with £810 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,010. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,010, so it is £1,202. 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: attach sampled locks to the agreed equipment and check full engagement, clearance, swivel movement and release without damage.

Cable and anchors: measure the steel core and coating separately, check end-fitting retention against the agreed pull test, and inspect for exposed strands.

Operation: repeat locking and unlocking, check the agreed key plan, and test combination setting and reset where applicable.

Finish and packing: check coating splits, corrosion, sharp edges, supplied keys, instructions and batch identification. Use the agreed inspection checklist.

What goes wrong

A thick coating can hide a thinner steel core. A lock head can appear to fit while failing to engage fully, or obstruct nearby connectors. Poorly secured cable ends can pull out even when the lock mechanism remains closed.

Other failure points include stiff keys, unintended key interchange, combination resets that leave the lock unusable, and coatings that crack when bent. Compare production pieces with the approved assembly and retain tested samples; a photograph cannot establish cable strength or interface fit.

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.