Truck cranes and pump trucks from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, special purpose motor vehicles other than those principally designed for the transport of persons or goods, heading 8705, carried 0% on goods from China on every line: mobile cranes, mobile drilling derricks, fire fighting vehicles, concrete-mixer lorries, concrete-pumping vehicles and other special purpose vehicles. No line carried an anti-dumping measure. For electric goods vehicles, see our electric van and light truck guide. For diesel panel vans, see our diesel panel van sourcing guide. For funeral vehicles, see our hearse sourcing guide.

Cranes that are not road vehicles, such as crawler and tower cranes, are under heading 8426 (see our cranes guide), and site concrete mixers under 8474 (see our crushers and concrete mixers guide).

Road approval, machinery and lifting

Unless exempt, a vehicle used on roads in Great Britain must be approved before first registration, through GB type approval or Individual Vehicle Approval, under the Road Vehicles (Approval) Regulations 2020, and must meet the applicable emissions, lighting and construction requirements for Great Britain. Check approval routes and exemptions with the builder before ordering, since left-hand drive and non-UK lighting may need changes. For ambulance purchases, see our guide to sourcing ambulances from China.

The crane or pump superstructure is machinery under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, and cranes in use must be thoroughly examined under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.

Specifying special vehicles

Specify chassis make and emissions level, drive side, axle configuration and gross weight, crane capacity chart or pump output and boom reach, outriggers, controls and safety systems, lighting and markings for GB, spare parts, manuals in English and operator training. For separately sourced bodies and cabs, see our truck bodies and cabs guide. For separately sourced bumpers, see our automotive bumper sourcing guide. For refuse collection body purchases, see our refuse truck body sourcing guide.

Worked duty example

For a made-up shipment of a truck-mounted concrete pump under 8705 90 30 00, add the £9,500 of freight and insurance to the £185,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £194,500. Duty on concrete pump truck is zero, leaving import VAT of £38,900, 20% of the customs value. For a VAT-registered buyer that is a cash-flow cost rather than a lasting one. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.

Inspection checklist

Function: witness a factory test of the crane load chart or pump output, outriggers, limiters and emergency stops.

Road compliance: check the chassis certificate, emissions level, lighting, mirrors and plates against the GB approval route.

Documents and shipping: check the declaration of conformity, manuals, spare parts list and roll-on or flat-rack shipping arrangements.

What goes wrong

Special vehicle orders fail on approval, documents and support. Vehicles arrive with a chassis or lighting that cannot be approved without rework, load charts or limiters do not match, manuals are not in English, and parts and service are unavailable locally. For replacement glazing, see our guide to sourcing laminated vehicle windscreens.

Plan the approval route first, witness tests, and agree parts and service. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources special purpose vehicles for UK contractors and plant hire firms, checking the builder's approvals and test records first. See factory verification.

Replacement hoist rope bought separately is a different product with its own anti-dumping duty; see our steel wire rope guide.