Sourcing spark plugs and starter motors from China

Duty at 2%

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, sparking plugs, ignition magnetos and magnetic flywheels, distributors and ignition coils, starter motors and starter-generators, other generators such as alternators, other ignition and starting equipment, and parts carried 2% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Coil-on-plug assemblies with an integrated igniter and mounting bracket, 90 to 200 mm long and rated 10.5 to 16 V, have their own line, 8511 30 00 30, with a 0% suspension to the end of 2028, and ignition coils for use in making vehicle engines are 0% under authorised use on 8511 30 00 55.

Some specific coil and module designs have their own codes at the same rate; confirm the commodity code for each part. For the reverse trade route, see our guide to exporting engine parts to China.

Brands and counterfeits

Plugs and coils sold under well-known brand names are among the most counterfeited car parts. Buy under your own brand or from the brand's authorised channel, and never accept goods carrying another company's mark without its permission; the IP guide explains why seizures fall on the importer.

Cross-reference part numbers can be quoted for fitment, but should not be printed in a way that suggests the part is made by that brand.

Safety and fitment

These parts do not need type approval when sold as replacements, but they must be safe under UK product safety law, and that duty sits with the importer of record. Ask for heat range, thread and reach for plugs, and voltage, output current, pinion teeth and mounting for starters and alternators. For lighting components, see our guide to vehicle lights and horns.

Remanufactured starters and alternators must be sold as remanufactured, with the core return terms agreed.

Worked duty example

Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 2,000 starter motors under 8511 40 00 90. At £60,000 free on board and £3,000 to ship and insure, the customs value is £63,000. Starter motors at 2% pay £1,260 of duty; VAT is then worked out on value plus duty, £64,260, giving £12,852. Of the £14,112 paid at import, only the £1,260 of duty stays a cost for a VAT-registered business. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.

Inspection checklist

Spark plugs: thread, reach and seat checked against ISO 28741 and the vehicle cross-reference, electrode gap measured on samples from each lot, insulators checked for cracks and resistance where resistor plugs are ordered, and gaskets and terminal nuts checked for fit.

Starters and alternators: alternators bench-tested for output current against speed by the method of ISO 8854, starters for current draw, speed and torque by ISO 8856, pinion tooth count, rotation and mounting checked against the cross-reference, and housings of units for exposed positions checked after a salt spray test to ISO 9227 where the buyer specifies one. For alternator purchasing, see our guide to sourcing vehicle alternators.

Coils and marking: ignition coils tested for secondary output and insulation on a coil tester, coil-on-plug assemblies checked against the 8511 30 00 30 description if the 0% suspension is claimed, E-marks under UN Regulation No. 10 checked where claimed, and boxes checked for the buyer's own brand, cross-reference lists and no third-party trade marks.

What goes wrong

Ignition and starting parts fail on fit, electrics and wear. Starters arrive with the wrong pinion tooth count or rotation, solenoids stick or burn out, and brushes and bushes wear quickly; alternators have regulators set to the wrong voltage or weak bearings. Spark plugs with the wrong heat range or reach damage engines, and parts copied from branded originals carry trade marks the importer has no right to use. For replacement brushes, see our carbon brush sourcing guide.

Bench-test starters for current draw and speed and alternators for output at set speeds, check pinion teeth, rotation, mounting and connectors against the vehicle cross-reference, measure plug gap, thread and reach, check insulation for cracks, and remove any third-party brand marks before shipment.

Bench tests and inspection

Bench-test starters and alternators on samples for current draw and output, and check plug gap and insulation. At inspection, sample by part number and check boxes, labels and cross-reference lists.

Cambridge China Bridge sources spark plugs, coils, starters and alternators, with fitment and brand questions settled before the order. See how our sourcing service works.