Sourcing wire bonding machines from China

Duty on wire bonding machines and parts

Heading 8486 covers semiconductor manufacturing machinery and its parts. Semiconductor wire bonding machines connect device pads to package terminals. The semiconductor device manufacturing line is relevant to complete bonders; the parts line covers qualifying parts and accessories. The table shows machine variants sharing a commodity line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 October 2026, all supplied lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The snapshot lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duties, suspensions or attached import controls. Import VAT is separate from customs duty.

Confirm the commodity code using the machine's function and the description of any separately imported parts. For wider heading context and a different bonding process, see the semiconductor wafer bonding machines guide.

Specify the wire, package and bonding process

Specify ball or wedge bonding, wire material and diameter, pad metallurgy, package dimensions, bond pitch and loop profile. Define the required handling method, heated workholder, vision alignment and recipe storage. Agree acceptance criteria for bond placement, pull strength and, for ball bonds, shear strength using your actual devices.

For new machinery supplied in Great Britain, the machinery safety rules require essential health and safety compliance, conformity assessment, a declaration of conformity and the relevant marking. Check the technical file arrangements, UKCA or CE marking and English instructions before shipment. Agree installation, software access, operator training and replacement tooling alongside the process specification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 3 automatic semiconductor wire bonding machines under 8486 20 00 00, invoiced at £450,000 free on board, with £15,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £465,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £465,000, so it is £93,000. 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

Bond trials: run your devices and wire through the agreed recipes; examine misplaced bonds, lifted bonds, damaged pads and loop consistency. Record the settings with the pull and shear results.

Tooling and handling: check capillaries or wedges, wire clamps, spool feed, workholders and package loading against the agreed supply list. Repeat the trial after a tooling change.

Safety and documents: match the machine identity to its declaration and instructions. Test guards, interlocks and emergency stops, and check access to hot surfaces and moving stages.

Arrival condition: inspect the crate and transit indicators, check the bonding head and stage alignment, then repeat the agreed trial after installation. Use the quality inspection guide to organise the checks.

What goes wrong

A demonstration on the supplier's samples can hide problems with your pad finish, wire or package. Weak bonds, pad damage and inconsistent loops can appear when the same recipe is transferred to production. Accept the machine against recorded results on your materials, including repeat runs and tooling changes.

Transport can disturb alignment, while worn clamps or an unstable heated workholder can make results drift. Missing recipe access, tooling drawings or software permissions can delay recovery. Agree the arrival trial, recipe backup, spare tooling and support responsibilities 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.