Subheading · Chapter 84 · Heading 8428
8428.70: Other lifting, handling, loading or unloading machinery: industrial robots
Industrial robots for handling
Official description Industrial robots
8428.70 is the HS subheading for industrial robots for handling, under heading 8428 in chapter 84.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 8428 70 00 00 Industrial robots Free
Additional duties and import rules
Charges on top of the customs duty, and rules the goods must meet at the border.
Additional duties and charges 1
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 376
- Documents
- 9008
Import requirements 3
- Prohibition or restrictionImport prohibition
- Applies to goods from
- North Korea
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/411
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
- Import controlImport control on restricted goods and technologies
- Applies to goods from
- Iran, North Korea
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/461, S.I. 2019/411
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | Free |
| DCTS Comprehensive | Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin and 38 moreAfghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo - Kinshasa, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia | Free |
| European Union (including code "EU") | Free | |
| DCTS Enhanced | Algeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville and 13 moreAlgeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville, Cook Islands, Kyrgyzstan, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Niue, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu | Free |
| CARIFORUM | Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize and 10 moreAntigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago | Free |
| OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories) | Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands and 7 moreAnguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, St Helena, Turks & Caicos Islands | Free |
| Central America | Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama | Free |
| SADC EPA | Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia | Free |
| Eastern and Southern Africa States | Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe | Free |
| CPTPP | Brunei, Malaysia | Free |
| UK–Andorra agreement | Andorra | Free |
| UK–Albania agreement | Albania | Free |
| UK–Australia agreement | Australia | Free |
| UK–Canada agreement | Canada | Free |
| UK–Switzerland agreement | Switzerland | Free |
| UK–Côte d’Ivoire agreement | Côte d’Ivoire | Free |
| UK–Chile agreement | Chile | Free |
| UK–Cameroon agreement | Cameroon | Free |
| UK–Colombia agreement | Colombia | Free |
| UK–Ceuta & Melilla agreement | Ceuta & Melilla | Free |
| UK–Ecuador agreement | Ecuador | Free |
| UK–Egypt agreement | Egypt | Free |
| UK–Fiji agreement | Fiji | Free |
| UK–Faroe Islands agreement | Faroe Islands | Free |
| UK–Georgia agreement | Georgia | Free |
| UK–Ghana agreement | Ghana | Free |
| DCTS Standard | Indonesia | Free |
| UK–Israel agreement | Israel | Free |
| UK–India agreement | India | Free |
| UK–Iceland agreement | Iceland | Free |
| UK–Jordan agreement | Jordan | Free |
| UK–Japan agreement | Japan | Free |
| UK–Kenya agreement | Kenya | Free |
| UK–South Korea agreement | South Korea | Free |
| UK–Lebanon agreement | Lebanon | Free |
| UK–Liechtenstein agreement | Liechtenstein | Free |
| UK–Morocco agreement | Morocco | Free |
| UK–Moldova agreement | Moldova | Free |
| UK–North Macedonia agreement | North Macedonia | Free |
| UK–Mexico agreement | Mexico | Free |
| UK–Norway agreement | Norway | Free |
| UK–New Zealand agreement | New Zealand | Free |
| UK–Peru agreement | Peru | Free |
| UK–Papua New Guinea agreement | Papua New Guinea | Free |
| UK–Palestinian Territories agreement | Palestinian Territories | Free |
| UK–Serbia agreement | Serbia | Free |
| UK–Solomon Islands agreement | Solomon Islands | Free |
| UK–Singapore agreement | Singapore | Free |
| UK–San Marino agreement | San Marino | Free |
| UK–Tunisia agreement | Tunisia | Free |
| UK–Türkiye agreement | Türkiye | Free |
| UK–Ukraine agreement | Ukraine | Free |
| UK–Vietnam agreement | Vietnam | Free |
| UK–Samoa agreement | Samoa | Free |
| UK–Kosovo agreement | Kosovo | Free |
| UK–South Africa agreement | South Africa | Free |
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States | £13.2m | 27.3% | +181.1% |
 China | £9.9m | 20.4% | -27.1% |
 Germany | £6.7m | 13.9% | +152% |
 Japan | £4.4m | 9.1% | -15.9% |
 Italy | £2.4m | 4.9% | +94.1% |
 Denmark | £1.8m | 3.7% | +8.3% |
 Mexico | £1.6m | 3.3% | -92.2% |
 Sweden | £1.6m | 3.2% | +178.1% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$1.5mUS$1.5m+US$11.3m+US$78.5m+> US$140.7m
Exports: 78
- China: US$295.6m
- Japan: US$269.2m
- Luxembourg: US$140.7m
- United States: US$113.6m
- Germany: US$102.5m
- South Korea: US$88.9m
- France: US$80.8m
- Mexico: US$78.5m
- Italy: US$74.9m
- Canada: US$48.8m
- Denmark: US$45.7m
- Switzerland: US$34.3m
- Sweden: US$31.8m
- Poland: US$31.5m
- Netherlands: US$27.8m
- United Kingdom: US$23.8m
- Spain: US$19.5m
- Hungary: US$13.5m
- Ireland: US$11.6m
- Austria: US$11.3m
- Türkiye: US$11.2m
- Belgium: US$9.9m
- Taiwan: US$8.4m
- India: US$8.2m
- Slovakia: US$7.7m
- Finland: US$7.5m
- Czechia: US$7.5m
- Singapore: US$5.1m
- Bulgaria: US$4.9m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$3.6m
- Malaysia: US$3m
- Portugal: US$3m
- Romania: US$2.3m
- Greece: US$1.7m
- Australia: US$1.7m
- Norway: US$1.6m
- Kazakhstan: US$1.5m
- Thailand: US$1.5m
- Serbia: US$1.5m
- Israel: US$1.4m
- Brazil: US$1.3m
- Slovenia: US$1.3m
- Iceland: US$1.1m
- Lithuania: US$1.1m
- New Zealand: US$587.7k
- Vietnam: US$469.4k
- Saudi Arabia: US$329.5k
- Croatia: US$315.2k
- Russia: US$313.6k
- South Africa: US$282.1k
- Colombia: US$223.3k
- Indonesia: US$200.6k
- Malta: US$181.4k
- Estonia: US$178.6k
- Ukraine: US$116k
- Uruguay: US$109.8k
- Chile: US$93.2k
- Iran: US$90.1k
- Albania: US$89.8k
- Belarus: US$83.7k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$1mUS$1m+US$10.1m+US$36.8m+> US$79.1m
Imports: 132
- United States: US$361.1m
- France: US$95.2m
- Germany: US$81.6m
- Mexico: US$79.1m
- United Kingdom: US$75.9m
- Spain: US$73.4m
- Luxembourg: US$54.8m
- China: US$53.2m
- Italy: US$50.5m
- Netherlands: US$47.9m
- Vietnam: US$45.6m
- Poland: US$44.4m
- Thailand: US$43.7m
- South Korea: US$36.8m
- Canada: US$33.8m
- Japan: US$25.1m
- Czechia: US$24.1m
- Switzerland: US$24m
- Russia: US$21.3m
- Türkiye: US$21.2m
- Singapore: US$21.1m
- Brazil: US$19.2m
- Australia: US$18.8m
- Belgium: US$18.6m
- India: US$17.8m
- Sweden: US$15.6m
- Romania: US$15m
- Slovakia: US$14.7m
- Hungary: US$14.3m
- Malaysia: US$13.9m
- Norway: US$13.1m
- Austria: US$13.1m
- Morocco: US$10.1m
- Taiwan: US$9.7m
- Indonesia: US$9.4m
- Portugal: US$9m
- Denmark: US$8.5m
- Israel: US$7.7m
- Greece: US$7.4m
- Finland: US$6.8m
- Belarus: US$6m
- New Zealand: US$5.6m
- Bulgaria: US$5.2m
- Uzbekistan: US$4.7m
- Serbia: US$4.3m
- Saudi Arabia: US$4.2m
- Chile: US$4.1m
- Ireland: US$4m
- Slovenia: US$4m
- Kazakhstan: US$4m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$3.5m
- United Arab Emirates: US$3.5m
- Latvia: US$3.1m
- Lithuania: US$2.9m
- Laos: US$2.9m
- Argentina: US$2.1m
- Colombia: US$1.9m
- Costa Rica: US$1.4m
- Algeria: US$1.3m
- Ukraine: US$1.2m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$295.6m | 18% |
| 2 | Japan | US$269.2m | 16.4% |
| 3 |  Luxembourg | US$140.7m | 8.5% |
| 4 | United States | US$113.6m | 6.9% |
| 5 | Germany | US$102.5m | 6.2% |
| 6 |  South Korea | US$88.9m | 5.4% |
| 7 |  France | US$80.8m | 4.9% |
| 8 | Mexico | US$78.5m | 4.8% |
| 9 | Italy | US$74.9m | 4.5% |
| 10 |  Canada | US$48.8m | 3% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$361.1m | 21.9% |
| 2 | France | US$95.2m | 5.8% |
| 3 | Germany | US$81.6m | 5% |
| 4 | Mexico | US$79.1m | 4.8% |
| 5 | United Kingdom | US$75.9m | 4.6% |
| 6 |  Spain | US$73.4m | 4.5% |
| 7 | Luxembourg | US$54.8m | 3.3% |
| 8 | China | US$53.2m | 3.2% |
| 9 | Italy | US$50.5m | 3.1% |
| 10 |  Netherlands | US$47.9m | 2.9% |
Code history
Since 2022; before, these goods were classified under 8428.90.
Subheading 8428.70 is a single line in the UK Global Tariff, where the duty is duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 8428.70; the duty is duty-free.
Goods from 174 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard Free; 174 of them pay no duty at all, for example under DCTS Comprehensive or European Union.
In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the UK imported industrial robots for handling worth £48.3m (down 21% on the year before), at an average of £55.24 per kg; United States supplied 27%, followed by China.
World trade in industrial robots for handling reached US$1.6bn in 2024, up 16.5% on 2023.
China was the largest exporter with 18% of the total, ahead of Japan.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for other lifting, handling, loading or unloading machinery: industrial robots?
Other lifting, handling, loading or unloading machinery: industrial robots fall under HS subheading 8428.70, part of heading 8428, in section XVI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on other lifting, handling, loading or unloading… in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 8428.70 from countries without a preferential agreement are free of duty. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on other lifting, handling, loading or unloading… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 8428.70 from countries without a preferential agreement are free of duty. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most other lifting, handling, loading or unloading…?
China, with US$295.6m in 2024 (18% of world exports).
Which countries can export industrial robots for handling to the UK duty-free?
174 countries pay no duty under a trade agreement or preference scheme, among them partners under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union, DCTS Enhanced. The goods must meet the agreement’s rules of origin and the importer needs proof of origin; otherwise the standard rate of Free applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Is there anti-dumping duty on industrial robots for handling?
The UK charges additional duty of 35% on goods from Belarus and Russia. Lower rates apply to the named exporters listed in the measure.
Where does the UK import industrial robots for handling from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were United States (27%), China (20%) and Germany (14%), out of total imports of £48.3m.
Typical products
Everyday names, not part of the legal text.