Sourcing Sliding Door Hook Locks from China

Duty and classification for sliding door hook locks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 8301 covers base-metal locks, locking clasps, lock parts and keys. For sliding building doors, the relevant complete-lock lines distinguish cylinder locks from other locks. Separately supplied parts and keys have their own lines.

All the selected lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for these lines. The table distinguishes complete locks, parts and separate keys; it does not classify every hook-lock design automatically.

Send drawings, photographs, operating details and the supplied component list to your customs broker to confirm the commodity code. For the wider door-lock family, see mortice door locks.

Specify the hook lock against the door profile

State the door and frame material, lock-case dimensions, backset, faceplate dimensions, fixing positions, hook direction and keeper geometry. Specify the door-to-frame gap and required hook engagement. Confirm whether the order includes the cylinder, handles, keeper and fixings. Approve a fitted sample using the intended door profile.

Agree hook and case materials, finish, keying arrangement and repeated-operation and corrosion tests. Products should only be sold once compliance with applicable product safety regulations has been demonstrated appropriately. Check the applicable construction-product assessment route with testing and certification support, and match any documents to the exact model and intended use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 2,000 sliding door hook locks; illustrative order with illustrative FOB and freight values under 8301 40 19 00, invoiced at £7,000 free on board, with £600 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £7,600. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,600, so it is £1,520. 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: measure the case, backset, faceplate and fixing positions against the approved drawing; fit sampled locks and keepers to the intended profile.

Engagement: close the door and operate the lock, checking that the hook enters and captures the keeper without rubbing, shallow engagement or binding.

Operation: test keys and handles, full hook withdrawal and the agreed keying arrangement; compare production samples with the approved fitted assembly.

Materials and packing: check hook thickness, finish, burrs, corrosion and loose fixings; verify supplied components and fitting instructions at inspection, then repeat fit and movement checks on arrival.

What goes wrong

A lock can fit the door cut-out while its hook misses the keeper or catches only the edge. An unsuitable backset, reversed hook direction or mismatched keeper can prevent full locking. Excessive play, thin hooks and rough internal surfaces can produce unreliable operation despite an acceptable loose sample.

Keep the approved door profile, keeper and lock together as the reference assembly. For fire-door applications, the evidence concerns the door assembly rather than the lock alone. Where CE marking has been legitimately affixed to a construction product, it can continue to be supplied to the Great Britain market; check that the supporting evidence covers the supplied model.

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.