Turntable cartridges and parts from China
Pick-up cartridges and other parts and accessories for turntables, record players and sound or video recording and reproducing apparatus from China, such as styli, tonearms, platters and belts, pay 0% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. Cartridges are bought on output, stylus profile, tracking force and channel balance, which a test record and a meter confirm.
Phono cartridges, styli, tonearms and other parts for turntables and sound or video recording and reproducing apparatus from China pay 0% UK duty.
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, parts and accessories suitable for use solely or principally with the apparatus of headings 8519 to 8521, heading 8522, carried 0% on goods from China for pick-up cartridges and for other parts and accessories, with no anti-dumping measure.
Complete turntables are covered in our record players guide, and loudspeakers and headphones in our headphones and speakers guide. Parts that are general-purpose, such as screws or cables, are classified by what they are, so confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pick-up cartridges | 8522 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Other parts and accessories (styli, tonearms, platters, belts) | 8522 90 00 90 | 0% | None |
Restricted substances
Parts going into electrical products sold in the UK must let the finished product meet the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012, so ask for RoHS declarations for cartridges, tonearm wiring and other electrical parts, and a statement on substances of very high concern for plastic and rubber parts.
Specifying cartridges and parts
For cartridges, specify type (moving magnet or moving coil), output voltage, stylus profile and tip material, cantilever, recommended tracking force, compliance, channel separation and balance, mounting and weight. For parts, specify dimensions, material and fit, such as belt length or tonearm effective length.
Worked duty example
For a made-up shipment of 5,000 moving-magnet phono cartridges under 8522 10 00 00, add the £600 of freight and insurance to the £30,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £30,600. Duty on phono cartridges is zero, leaving import VAT of £6,120, 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
Electrical: measure output and channel balance on samples with a test record, and check for hum and noise.
Stylus: inspect the tip and cantilever under magnification for damage and alignment.
Packing: check each cartridge has a stylus guard and is fixed in its box, and that belts are packed flat.
What goes wrong
Cartridge and parts orders fail on channel balance, stylus damage and fit. Channels are unbalanced, cantilevers arrive bent, stylus guards are missing, belts stretch, and parts do not fit the stated turntable models.
Test samples with a test record, inspect styli, and fit parts to target models. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources cartridges and audio parts for UK hi-fi brands and repairers, and has no minimum order of its own; the factory's minimum per model applies. See small orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on phono cartridges from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, pick-up cartridges (8522 10 00 00) carried 0% from China.
Are styli and tonearms the same rate?
Yes. Other parts and accessories under 8522 90 00 90 carried 0%.
What should be tested on cartridges?
Output, channel balance, hum and the stylus tip under magnification.
Do audio parts need RoHS declarations?
Yes, for parts going into electrical products sold in the UK.