Sourcing smart door locks from China

Duty on smart door locks and spares

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 10 October 2026, heading 8301 covers base-metal locks, including electrically operated locks, and their parts and keys. Building-door locks are split between cylinder and other locks. Identify whether the shipment contains complete locks, replacement parts or separately presented keys. For vehicle applications, see our automotive door lock sourcing guide.

The selected lines carry 0% duty from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control. Elsewhere in the heading, lock-incorporating clasps have torture-and-repression control entries; these are outside this smart-door-lock selection. If importing such clasps, ask your customs broker to confirm the attached requirements.

Confirm the construction and presentation with your broker using finding your commodity code. For the broader product family, see locks, padlocks and cylinders. For sliding doors, see our sliding door hook lock sourcing guide.

Specify the door fit and connected functions

Specify door thickness, backset, lock-case dimensions, spindle position, cylinder format, handing and the existing latch or multipoint mechanism. Agree whether the order replaces the complete lock or adds a motor to existing hardware. Define fingerprint, keypad, phone and mechanical-key access, battery type, low-battery warning and emergency power access. For rim-lock hardware, see our rim door lock sourcing guide. For hotel card-access models, see our hotel RFID door lock sourcing guide.

For consumer connectable models, product-security rules apply to relevant products that connect to the internet or a network. Obtain the accompanying statement of compliance. Agree how security issues are reported and how the manufacturer publishes the minimum security-update period. Treat standalone keypad models separately when checking scope.

For wireless models sold in Great Britain, the importer must check that the manufacturer has completed the relevant conformity assessment. Obtain model-specific evidence through testing and certification. For fire-door applications, the evidence concerns the door assembly, rather than the lock alone.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 810 smart door locks, illustrative order under 8301 40 19 00, invoiced at £38,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £40,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £40,500, so it is £8,100. 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: install sampled production locks on the agreed door arrangement; check latch engagement, handle clearance, handing and mechanical backup operation.

Access: test enrolment, failed authentication, temporary access expiry, deletion of users and transfer to a new owner. Repeat checks with the network unavailable.

Power: check low-battery warnings, emergency power access, battery-contact security and operation after power loss and restoration.

Identity: match the lock, firmware and supplied documents to the approved model; check packaging contents and repeat functional checks on arrival. Use the agreed inspection procedure.

What goes wrong

A demonstration can hide a poor door fit: the motor turns freely on the bench but stalls against a misaligned strike. Other failure points include loose battery contacts, unreliable fingerprint recognition, confusing owner transfer and a backup key that cannot turn after installation.

A factory may change the radio module, motor or firmware after sample approval. Freeze the approved configuration, require written approval for substitutions and test production pieces against it. Specify who controls the application account and what access remains available if the remote service stops.

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.