Sourcing fixed natural-gas engines from China
Stationary natural-gas engines under heading 8407 carry 2% to 4% UK duty from China, depending on capacity and power. Check whether the supply is complete or partly completed machinery, and assess site emissions permitting before commissioning. Cambridge China Bridge sources stationary natural-gas engines.
Duty on stationary natural-gas engines
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 8407 covers spark-ignition reciprocating or rotary internal combustion piston engines. This guide concerns stationary natural-gas engines supplied as engines. Complete generator sets fall under heading 8502. See the petrol engines and outboard motors guide for the wider heading.
The general other-engine line up to 250 cm³ carries 2% duty from China. Above 250 cm³, the general lines carry 4%, with a power split at 10 kW. These lines have no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or tariff import control. The pump-drive and generator-drive examples share a code. Suspensions elsewhere in the heading have specific goods descriptions and should not be assumed to cover a stationary natural-gas engine.
Give your customs broker the ignition method, fuel, displacement, rated power, intended application and supplied configuration. Confirm the commodity code before shipment, particularly when the engine arrives with an alternator, pump or other equipment.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stationary natural-gas engines, cylinder capacity not exceeding 250 cm³ | 8407 90 10 90 | 2% | None |
| Stationary natural-gas engines, over 250 cm³, power not exceeding 10 kW | 8407 90 80 90 | 4% | None |
| Stationary natural-gas pump-drive engines, over 250 cm³ and over 10 kW | 8407 90 90 90 | 4% | None |
Specify the gas supply and continuous shaft output
Specify natural-gas composition, inlet pressure, continuous shaft power at the agreed speed, operating load and ambient conditions. Agree the gas regulator, shut-off arrangement, ignition system, governor, cooling circuit, exhaust connection and controller interfaces. Obtain drawings for mounting feet, shaft coupling and service access. State whether the supply includes a radiator, exhaust silencer, control panel and commissioning support.
Confirm whether the supplied assembly is complete or partly completed machinery. For an engine supplied for incorporation, ask for the declaration of incorporation and assembly instructions. HSE says a declaration of incorporation is only for partly completed machinery that cannot operate independently. For completed machinery, ensure that the technical file is compiled and available on request, and ask HSE to confirm the applicable machinery safety, declaration of conformity and CE or UKCA marking requirements.
For a site in England or Wales, assess medium combustion plant and specified generator rules before commissioning. Ask the supplier for thermal input, fuel consumption and emissions data for the proposed operating conditions, then have the site adviser check permitting. Electrical or shaft output alone does not describe the fuel input.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 10 compact stationary natural-gas engines, over 250 cm³ and not exceeding 10 kW; illustrative order under 8407 90 80 90, invoiced at £28,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £32,000. Duty at 4% is £1,280. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £33,280, so it is £6,656. Import taxes total £7,936; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,280 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Identity: match the engine model, serial identification, displacement, ignition equipment and supplied accessories to the order and drawings.
Running test: witness a loaded test on the agreed gas specification; record shaft output, speed stability, fuel consumption, coolant behaviour and exhaust observations.
Protection: have the test team demonstrate the agreed shutdown responses, including loss of gas supply, overheating and abnormal speed; inspect guards and hot-surface protection.
Arrival: check mounting feet, coupling alignment, pipe connections, wiring, corrosion and transit damage. Compare the documents with the delivered configuration and arrange controlled commissioning. See quality inspection.
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What goes wrong
An engine demonstrated on a different gas composition or inlet pressure may misfire or fail to deliver the agreed output at your site. A short unloaded demonstration can miss cooling problems, governor hunting and leaks that appear under sustained load. Agree the test conditions and acceptance record before paying the balance.
A generic certificate can describe a different engine or omit the supplied controls. A bare engine's documentation also needs to fit its incorporation into the final machine. Resolve responsibility for integration, exhaust routing, shutdown wiring and commissioning before dispatch. Ask for testing and certification support when the documents do not match the supply.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on stationary natural-gas engines from China?
The relevant general engine lines carry 2% up to 250 cm³ and 4% above 250 cm³. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or tariff import control is listed on these lines in the supplied tariff snapshot.
Is a natural-gas engine with an alternator still an engine import?
Complete generator sets fall under heading 8502. Ask your broker to classify the supplied assembly rather than using the bare engine's code automatically.
Should a bare engine have a declaration of incorporation?
Check its supplied configuration. HSE says declarations of incorporation are only for partly completed machinery that cannot operate independently. Ask for the assembly instructions and documents appropriate to the supply.
What should I ask the factory to test?
Loaded shaft output, speed stability, gas consumption, cooling and shutdown responses using the agreed natural-gas specification. Match the tested engine and controller configuration to the shipment.