Sourcing vehicle side marker lamps from China

Duty on vehicle side marker lamps

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 8512 covers vehicle lighting and signalling equipment alongside other vehicle electrical equipment. Ordinary complete side marker lamps fall within other vehicle lighting and signalling equipment, provisionally 8512 20 00 90. The table shows mounting variants sharing that tariff line and a separate parts line.

The relevant lamp and parts lines carry 2% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no attached import controls. The complete-lamp line also lists 0.00 % suspensions for narrowly described products, including a lighting module and an authorised-use fog lamp. The supplied lighting-module description is truncated: do not assume a side marker qualifies; ask your customs broker to check the full conditions.

Confirm the commodity code against the complete unit or separately supplied part. Separate bulbs and light sources are classified elsewhere. For other products in this heading, see vehicle lights and horns.

Specify the lamp and its mounting position

Give the factory the vehicle or trailer application, intended mounting position, emitted colour, operating voltage range, connector drawing, polarity, cable length and mounting dimensions. State whether the lamp includes a reflector, gasket, bracket and fixings. Approve a sample fitted to the intended body panel before confirming the production specification.

For road-use lamps, request the approval certificate behind the mark and match it to the exact supplied model. Lamps and reflectors must be fitted in the correct orientation, and lamps must be securely mounted. The official van approval guidance also checks for lamp obstruction. Review visibility with the bracket and surrounding bodywork in place.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5,000 pairs of vehicle side marker lamps; FOB and freight values are illustrative under 8512 20 00 90, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £43,000. Duty at 2% is £860. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £43,860, so it is £8,772. Import taxes total £9,632; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £860 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: compare the lens markings, model reference and approval documents with the approved sample; check that the bulk uses the same lens and housing.

Fit: check mounting centres, gasket seating, bracket stiffness, connector keying and cable exit against the drawing. Trial-fit lamps to the intended panel.

Operation: power sampled lamps across the agreed vehicle voltage range; check emitted colour, flicker, polarity and vehicle warning messages.

Sealing: test samples against the agreed water-resistance claim, then inspect for moisture behind the lens and around the cable entry. Include these checks in the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

Water enters through poorly bonded lenses, cable entries or compressed gaskets. Brackets twist during fitting, changing the lamp's viewing direction. A matching outer shape can hide a different connector, driver or lens, leaving a replacement that fits the panel but behaves differently on the vehicle.

Treat an approval mark as something to verify against the supplied model's documents. Keep an approved sample and drawings, and agree that changes to the lens, housing, driver, cable or bracket need your review before shipment.

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.