Sourcing stereolithography printers from China

Duty on stereolithography printers

Heading 8485 covers machines for additive manufacturing. For stereolithography printers that build plastic parts from liquid resin, check the plastics-deposit line, 8485 20 00 00. Desktop and industrial descriptions in the table share this code; they are not separate tariff subdivisions. The keyboard line applies only where the complete tariff description is met.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 21 October 2026, the selected lines carried 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measures and no suspensions listed. The keyboard line has a supplementary-unit import measure; confirm the declaration entry with your customs broker. No other import controls are listed for these selected lines.

Confirm the commodity code from the machine's process and the exact description of separately supplied parts. Do not automatically classify resin, washing equipment or curing equipment as printer parts. See the wider printer guide for other printer families.

Specify the resin process and finished part

State whether you want laser stereolithography or another resin-curing process. Agree usable build volume, compatible resins, exposure settings, support removal and the washing and curing workflow. Give the factory a representative part file and agree how finished dimensions, surface finish and distortion will be assessed after curing.

Specify slicing software access, file compatibility, offline operation and replacement vats, build platforms and optical components. New machinery placed on the Great Britain market must have CE or UKCA marking, a declaration of conformity and English instructions. Ask for model-specific evidence through testing and certification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small-business batch of industrial stereolithography printers under 8485 20 00 00, invoiced at £60,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £63,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £63,000, so it is £12,600. 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

Print quality: print the agreed part using the agreed resin and settings; check dimensions after curing, support scars, fine features and distortion.

Vat and motion: check for leaks, damaged vat surfaces, loose platform fixings, uneven movement and contamination on optical surfaces.

Safety and documents: match the supplied model to its declaration, conformity marking and English instructions; have a competent tester assess enclosure protection and shutdown behaviour.

Software and packing: verify file transfer and firmware against the approved sample; secure the platform and vat for transport. Include a repeat print in the inspection.

What goes wrong

A factory demonstration can hide resin-specific settings or a curing process that the buyer cannot reproduce. Parts may detach, warp after curing or show weak supports. Leaking vats and contaminated optics can spoil later prints even when the first sample looks acceptable.

Treat resin, software and replacement components as part of the purchasing specification. Compare arrival prints with the approved sample using the same workflow, and record discrepancies before accepting the batch. Avoid relying on a catalogue image or a sample produced on a different machine.

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.