Sourcing vehicle fog lamps from China
Vehicle fog lamps from China normally pay 2% UK duty; a narrowly defined manufacturing lamp can qualify for 0% under authorised use. For road use, check approval evidence for the exact lamp and specify the correct mounting position. Cambridge China Bridge sources vehicle fog lamps.
Fog-lamp duty and the manufacturing suspension
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 8512 covers vehicle lighting and signalling equipment and its parts, alongside wipers, defrosters and demisters. Complete vehicle fog lamps fall within other lighting or visual signalling equipment. The table separates fog-lamp variants sharing a code; it does not represent separate tariff lines. See the wider vehicle lights and horns guide.
Ordinary fog lamps and their parts from China carry 2% duty. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no attached import controls for these lines. A 0% authorised-use suspension covers a fog lamp with a galvanised inner surface, a plastic holder with three or more brackets, one or more 12 V bulbs, a connector and a plastic cover, with or without a connection cable, for vehicle manufacture.
Do not budget for the suspension merely because the goods are fog lamps. Match the complete tariff description and manufacturing use; HMRC says you must apply to be authorised to use authorised use. Ask your customs broker to confirm eligibility and the declaration. Confirm the commodity code for complete lamps and separately imported parts. Separate bulbs and light sources are classified outside this heading.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete front fog lamps with replaceable bulbs | 8512 20 00 90 | 2% | None |
| Dedicated fog-lamp parts, excluding separate light sources | 8512 90 90 00 | 2% | None |
Specify front or rear fog lamps and vehicle fit
Specify the fog-lamp function, target vehicle model and body variant, mounting side, bracket drawing, connector, pin assignment, operating voltage and supplied wiring. State whether the unit uses replaceable bulbs or an integrated light source. Agree the lens, housing, seals and adjustment mechanism against an approved sample, then fit that sample to the target vehicle before ordering.
For road-use lamps, obtain approval evidence for the exact model and compare it with the marks on the sample. For rear lamps, GOV.UK's individual vehicle approval guidance specifies the centre or offside rear for use in Great Britain. Check the intended mounting arrangement before accepting a lamp integrated into a rear-light cluster; for UK vehicles, offside means the right-hand side.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 600 replacement front fog lamps under 8512 20 00 90, invoiced at £3,000 free on board, with £600 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,600. Duty at 2% is £72. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,672, so it is £734.40. Import taxes total £806.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £72 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Identity and approval: compare lamp markings, model references and approval documents with the agreed sample. Record any change to the lens, reflector, housing or light source.
Mounting and connectors: trial-fit sampled units, check bracket alignment and adjusters, and verify connector locking, pin assignment, cable routing and seals.
Light and switching: compare output and beam pattern with the approved sample. Operate rear fog lamps with the other vehicle lights; the MOT manual instructs testers to check whether those lights adversely affect the rear fog lamps.
Sealing and electrical operation: run the agreed water-exposure and power-cycling checks, inspect for ingress and condensation, and check flicker, overheating and vehicle warning messages. Include these checks in the inspection brief.
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What goes wrong
A lamp can match the catalogue photograph yet have different brackets or connector pins. Rear-light clusters intended for another market can put the fog-lamp function on the wrong side. Confirm fit and function on the target vehicle rather than accepting appearance alone.
Poor seals allow water inside, weak adjusters move the beam, and substituted drivers can cause flicker or bulb-failure warnings. Hold the production sample against the approved specification and investigate changes before dispatch. An approval document for a different lamp model does not establish that the delivered unit matches it.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For components and parts, see sourcing for manufacturers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on fog lamps from China?
Ordinary fog lamps and their parts carry 2% duty. A narrowly described lamp for vehicle manufacture has a 0% suspension under authorised use. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty.
Can replacement fog lamps qualify for the duty suspension?
The listed suspension specifies a particular construction and use in vehicle manufacture. Do not assume replacement stock qualifies. Ask your broker to check the description, intended use and authorised-use arrangements.
Which side should a rear fog lamp fit?
GOV.UK's individual vehicle approval guidance specifies the centre or offside rear for Great Britain. Check the target vehicle and cluster arrangement; offside is the right-hand side on a UK vehicle.
What should I ask a Chinese fog-lamp factory for?
Ask for model-specific approval evidence, mounting drawings, connector pin assignments, light-source details and sealing test reports. Fit a sample to the target vehicle and agree checks for the production batch.