Sourcing server RAID cards from China

Duty and classification for RAID cards

Heading 8473 covers parts and accessories principally or solely for machines of headings 8470 to 8472. Server RAID controller cards are computer electronic assemblies, making 8473 30 20 00 the relevant starting point. The table shows card variants sharing that tariff line, rather than separate classifications. See the server riser-card guide for related coverage of this heading.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, all supplied lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The RAID-card line has no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control. The supplied office-machine lines have waste import and export controls. For waste imports into England under notification controls, the exporter must apply to the dispatch country's competent authority for consent. Confirm any proposed waste shipment from China with your customs broker.

Confirm the commodity code using the card's function, intended server and supplied accessories. Send the broker the specification and packing list, identifying any separate cables or battery packs. The stock-order figures are illustrative values, not supplier prices. The duty and VAT guide explains the import calculation.

Specify firmware, drives and cache protection

Record the manufacturer's part number, board revision, server model, expansion-slot interface, bracket height and operating system. Specify supported drive interfaces, connector positions, cable routing and the required array modes. Agree the firmware and driver versions against an approved sample. Ask whether branded cards are factory-made products, refurbished stock or boards removed from used servers.

Define write-cache behaviour and whether the order includes its protection module, connecting cable and mounting parts. Test drive detection, array creation, degraded operation and rebuilding in the intended server. For protected cache, agree a controlled power-loss and recovery test using test data. Keep the test configuration and results with the sample approval.

For Great Britain, distinguish components supplied to another business for integration from finished products sold separately. Official hazardous-substance guidance excludes component parts sold on a business-to-business basis from its scope. Finished products must comply with applicable legislation when placed on the market. Ask for model-specific material and conformity evidence, and confirm the sales route through testing and certification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative stock order of server RAID controller cards for a server repair business under 8473 30 20 00, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £31,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £31,500, so it is £6,300. 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

Identity and condition: compare part numbers, board revisions, chip markings and serial records with the approved sample. Check connector wear, solder rework, residue and relabelled surfaces against the agreed condition.

Fit and connection: install sampled cards in the target server. Check bracket alignment, heatsink clearance, cable reach, connector orientation and detection of the intended drives.

Function and recovery: record firmware and driver versions. Run the agreed array, rebuild and cache-recovery tests, and retain diagnostic logs rather than accepting a boot-screen photograph.

Packing and documents: check shielding bags, protective trays and restraint against movement. Match included cache modules, cables and brackets to the packing list. Review the agreed conformity documents during inspection.

What goes wrong

A card can fit the slot but fail to work with the server firmware, backplane or operating-system driver. A supplier may substitute a similar board revision or supply a card configured for a different function. Reject substitutions unless a sample passes the agreed tests in the target server.

Used cards can arrive as supposedly new stock, with worn connectors or missing cache-protection accessories. Successful booting does not demonstrate array recovery or protected-cache operation. Agree condition, accessory contents, diagnostic evidence and the return process for failed cards before placing the order.

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.