Sourcing woodworking mortising machines from China

UK duty and mortising machine classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 21 October 2026, heading 8465 covers machine tools for working wood and similar hard materials. Its drilling or mortising machine line is 8465 95 00 00. All supplied lines carry 2% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, tariff suspension or attached import control.

The table includes the dedicated mortising line and descriptions to review for combined machines or machining centres. These are classification candidates, not alternative codes for the same machine. Give your broker the cutting method, operating sequence and workpiece transfer details to confirm the commodity code. See the woodworking machines guide for the wider heading.

Specify the mortise and tooling

State whether you need a hollow-chisel, chain or slot mortiser. Specify the timber species, stock dimensions, mortise width, depth and length, position from the reference face, and the agreed acceptance tolerances. Include drawings and timber samples so the factory can demonstrate the joint you intend to make.

Agree the tooling shank and mounting arrangement, included chisels or chains, sharpening arrangements, head travel, table movement, depth stops and clamp capacity. Match the electrical supply to the workshop and specify dust extraction connections. Record the motor and tooling makers, spare parts and commissioning arrangements.

For new machines supplied in Great Britain, confirm with the relevant authority the applicable machinery safety conformity, UKCA or CE marking, declaration of conformity and English instruction requirements. Machinery must be safe before being placed on that market or put into service. Ask for documents matching the actual model and configuration, rather than a generic certificate.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: one industrial woodworking mortising machine under 8465 95 00 00, invoiced at £8,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,200. Duty at 2% is £184. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,384, so it is £1,876.80. Import taxes total £2,060.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £184 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Cutting trial: cut mortises in the agreed timber, measure width, depth and position, and check squareness, tear-out and fit with the intended tenon.

Clamps and movement: check that stock remains secure throughout the cut, the head moves smoothly, and fences and depth stops retain their settings during repeated cuts.

Safety and electrics: test guards, emergency stops and controls; check the supply details, nameplate, declaration and English manual against the machine delivered.

Arrival condition: inspect the head, table and fence for transit damage, check rust protection and tooling completeness, and repeat the agreed cutting trial after installation.

What goes wrong

Watch for an auger that does not match its hollow chisel, poor chip clearance, clamps that lift the timber, a fence that moves under load and depth stops that slip. A clean demonstration cut in soft timber may hide poor performance in your intended hardwood.

Settle defects against the agreed drawing and timber trial before shipment. Keep the factory test record, then compare the arrival test with it. Use the quality inspection guide to plan checks before the balance and on receipt.

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.