Chinese Import Tarrifs

[8163jb]

Hi guys,

This is my first time getting my boards assembled, and I'm using a company in china to do it (https://www.pcbastore.com for anyone interested) because I'm a poor student. I'm using a part which I can buy online for relatively cheap compared to what the fab can purchase it for ($4 for me vs $7.50 for them) and I'm considering buying them myself and sending them to the fab. My concern is that I will need to pay chinese import tarrifs of the components, and I can't seem to find any solid info online as to how much that would be.

For reference I live in the UK, as I know with these things that matters.

Does anyone have any experience shipping parts to a fab in china? Did you have to pay import tax and if so how much did it end up being (as a percentage)?

I'm also well aware that the reason I can get the parts for $3.50 less than them may well be the import tarrifs and duty, if this is the case I'll just get them to get the chips and forget about shipping the chips out.

Thanks in advance!

[sdouble]

FYI, i sent connector to my cable provider in china (shenzhen). 40 small connector, 0.2kg total weight in an envelope.
40 x 0.8 USD declared value, proform invoice provided...
and envelope has been stucked in custom for 1 week now.

[8163jb]

Just smuggle them. Split parts to small packages less than 1kg and declare them as $100 gifts per bag.

I suppose this is always an option, just have to check the fab won't mind this kind of underhand tactic (not that I think they will).

FYI, i sent connector to my cable provider in china (shenzhen). 40 small connector, 0.2kg total weight in an envelope.
40 x 0.8 USD declared value, proform invoice provided...
and envelope has been stucked in custom for 1 week now.

Yeah this is something I'm concerned about too, don't know if it's worth the project getting delayed to try save a few bucks.

[olkipukki]

May be worth to find out HS code and check Chinese import rates? 
Who knows  your stuff might be a tariff free... 

[Siwastaja]

PCBWay has a nice pdf document which explains in enough detail how you must smuggle the components and why you need to do it. It's just how it is, it's the "official" standard, and I bet it's the same with most assemblers.

I think it's not only the tariff itself, but the time & bureaucracy involved.

[noras]

The official website of pcbway will not display the request for low prices to avoid tariffs, but sales representatives may hint at you and how to avoid them effectively.

[sdouble]

could you make it available to everybody ?

PCBWay has a nice pdf document which explains in enough detail how you must smuggle the components and why you need to do it. It's just how it is, it's the "official" standard, and I bet it's the same with most assemblers.

I think it's not only the tariff itself, but the time & bureaucracy involved.

[olkipukki]

Most likely it will be free, but the extremely bureaucratic political system in China makes it very hard to get anything properly into China.

You need certificates on country of origin, product themselves and if the product to be imported is a subassembly, related safety/EMC/whatever certifices are also required.

Is it true for whole China? Or maybe there is special clearance in HK?

[helius]

There is zero tariff on printed circuits imported from any country into the US, with the exception of those enemy countries to which we apply broad sanctions (Cuba and North Korea). Under the WCO every signatory uses the same classification schemes, so you should check the tables of your own country for 8534.00.00.

[Audreyyy]

This can ask some exporters

[janekm]

I suppose this is always an option, just have to check the fab won't mind this kind of underhand tactic (not that I think they will).

They will usually request you to smuggle them to save their trouble dealing with customs. I live in US, and I had boards done by PCBWay. They asked specifically for this.

That surprised me as I have found Chinese customs authorities to be pretty... Diligent at inspecting and categorising incoming items (I have had items held because they were deemed "for business purposes, requiring claiming by a business" for example). But  I suppose it still reduced the hassle for PCBway if 50% of parcels get through hassle-free.

Is it true for whole China? Or maybe there is special clearance in HK?

There is customs between China mainland and HK. From the perspective of Chinese boarder control, HK is a different country.
You can, however, import goods to tax free zones in China mainland, but the bar is quite high for setting up a shop in one of them, and so far as I know, PCBWay is not in a tax free zone.

PCBWay are not, their factory is well outside the center of Shenzhen far away from the Shekou/Qianhai free trade zones. Using the free trade zones in that way would indeed be very complicated as it would need to be a bonded facility, afaik...

If you can get your parts locally in Shenzhen, and can work around the risk of fakes / recycled parts, you certainly avoid a lot of hassle.

[ANTALIFE]

Given you are a poor student why not assemble the boards yourself? Your uni should have the basic facilities to get you started

[8163jb]

Given you are a poor student why not assemble the boards yourself? Your uni should have the basic facilities to get you started

Done this many times, but there's only so much pick and place you can do by hand and still remain sane, I draw the line at >50 boards. Plus at the time I was on a placement year elsewhere so didn't have access to the facilities at uni.

[ANTALIFE]

Given you are a poor student why not assemble the boards yourself? Your uni should have the basic facilities to get you started

Done this many times, but there's only so much pick and place you can do by hand and still remain sane, I draw the line at >50 boards. Plus at the time I was on a placement year elsewhere so didn't have access to the facilities at uni.

Ah fair enough. Have you tried asking any local assembly houses? They might be similar in pricing once you consider shipping/tariffs/GST, also should mention that you are a student and might give you a discount

[Reckless]

The days of no tax are over.   

[mrpackethead]

Be assured that if you have somethign that even smells of american, the chinese are going to tax the crap out of it, when it crosses their borders..   Making merica great again, one tarrif at a time.