This page is the quarterly China Robot Price Index. It aggregates anonymized sourcing data and pairs it with official tariff schedules so that "what does it cost to import a robot from China" has a dated, citable answer. Every figure here is either linked to an official source or attributed to this Index by name; where we do not have a clean number, we say so rather than guess. None of the figures below is a per-supplier or per-customer term — they are aggregated bands only.
The catalog this Index is built on
The Index draws its model universe from the robosino.com sourcing catalog, which lists itself as carrying 300+ robot models across 8 tracks and 25+ leading robot brands (robosino.com, fetched 2026-06-22). The publicly enumerated track pages break down as follows:
| Track | Models listed | Typical form factor for shipping |
|---|---|---|
| Collaborative robots (cobot) | 101 | Boxed, light, air-freightable |
| 6-axis industrial | 63 | Crated, heavy, sea freight |
| Embodied AI platforms | 38 | Mixed |
| Warehouse AMR | 33 | Palletized, batteries → dangerous-goods checks |
| Full-size humanoid | 26 | Crated, fragile, high-value |
| SCARA | 21 | Boxed/crated, light-to-mid |
A note on transparency: the public track pages enumerate fewer SKUs than the portfolio badge ("300+ models") implies, because some SKUs are not broken out on the public track pages. The price and lead-time bands in this Index are reconciled against the full model universe at source, and the per-quarter sample size is disclosed on the methodology page. We flag the gap openly rather than paper over it — that is the point of an index.
One named manufacturer in the catalog is Estun, whose home-page models include the HR-B5-UB dual-arm humanoid and the iER220-3100-P / iER220-2700-P 6-axis arms (robosino.com). We do not publish per-model prices for these in this public Index; unit pricing is quote-based and supplier-confidential.
How a "landed" cost is actually built
Landed cost is not the sticker price. It stacks like this:
Landed cost = FOB price + international freight + insurance + import duty + VAT/GST + customs clearance + last-mile delivery.
The duty and VAT are the parts buyers most often get wrong, because they are set by your destination country, not by the seller. Most robots fall under a small set of HS headings — articulated industrial and collaborative arms commonly classify around HS 8479.50 ("industrial robots, not elsewhere specified"), while self-propelled warehouse trucks/AMRs often sit under HS 8427/8428 depending on function. Classification is binding only when ruled by your customs authority, so the rate ranges below are indicative and must be verified with a licensed customs broker — this is not legal advice.
| Destination | Indicative duty | Import VAT/GST | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | Low single-digit % (TARIC, by HS code) | ~19–25% by member state | TARIC lookup per HS code (EU TARIC) |
| UK | Low single-digit % (UK Global Tariff) | 20% | Classify via UK Trade Tariff |
| US | 0–low single-digit base (HTS) + any in-force trade-remedy measures | No federal VAT; state use tax may apply | Check live USITC HTS; China-origin measures can apply on top |
| GCC (UAE/KSA) | Commonly 5% unified GCC customs duty | 5% VAT (UAE/KSA) | Per GCC Common Customs Law; confirm with local broker |
The single biggest cost-control lesson: the Incoterm decides who pays freight, insurance, duty and clearance. An EXW quote looks cheapest and is often the most expensive once you, the buyer, absorb everything downstream; a DDP quote bundles it but transfers margin to the seller. First-time importers are usually safest at FOB or CIF and should never read an EXW figure as the landed price.
Lead times by track, Q3 2026
Lead time is where China sourcing is most misunderstood. The robosino funnel states quotes are returned "typically within one business day" (robosino.com) — but that is the quote turnaround, not production-plus-shipping. Per the China Robot Price Index, Q3 2026, build-and-deliver lead times cluster by track roughly as follows (aggregated, anonymized bands; sea freight assumed unless air-freighted):
| Track | Indicative lead-time band (build + transit) | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Cobot | Shorter end — often stock or short build, air-freightable | Standardized, lighter units |
| SCARA | Short-to-mid | Mature, high-volume product |
| 6-axis industrial | Mid — build-to-order + sea freight | Heavy, crated, configuration |
| Warehouse AMR | Mid — plus dangerous-goods handling for batteries | Battery shipping compliance |
| Embodied AI / humanoid | Longer, most variable — newer, lower-volume | Limited production runs |
We deliberately publish bands, not point figures, because a single advertised "X-week lead time" is meaningless across hundreds of models; the honest answer is a range by track, refreshed each quarter. Exact weeks for a specific model come only from a current quote.
Cost-per-payload as a sanity check
A useful normalization B2B buyers can cite is price per kilogram of rated payload for 6-axis arms — it strips away brand and lets you compare a 3 kg cobot against a 220 kg-class industrial arm on the same axis. We are still expanding the verified sample for a published $/kg band, so we are not putting a single number on it this quarter; treat $/payload-kg as a method to apply to your own quotes, not yet a headline Index figure. (Method detailed in Cost per payload kilo.)
Where robosino fits — and the alternatives
There is no single right channel for sourcing Chinese robots, and this Index names several. You can buy direct from an OEM (lowest unit price, highest MOQ and compliance burden on you), through marketplaces like Alibaba / Made-in-China (broad, but verification is your job), via a regional distributor or integrator (more support, higher price), or through an export-sourcing intermediary. As one such intermediary, robosino consolidates 25+ brands with quote-based pricing, a 30-day money-back window, manufacturer warranty included, and export to 150+ countries (robosino.com) — useful when you want one MOQ/lead-time/Incoterm quote across multiple manufacturers rather than chasing each OEM. Whether that convenience is worth the intermediary margin depends on your volume and in-house compliance capacity; for a single pilot unit it often is, for a 50-unit fleet direct-OEM may win.
FAQ
How much does it cost to import a robot from China?
Plan for the FOB/ex-works price plus roughly 18–35% for freight, duty, VAT/GST and clearance combined, varying by destination and track. Duty itself is usually low single-digit; local VAT and freight move the number more (per the China Robot Price Index, Q3 2026; verify rates with a customs broker).
What HS code do robots use?
Articulated industrial and collaborative robots commonly classify near HS 8479.50; self-propelled warehouse AMRs often fall under HS 8427/8428 by function. Classification is binding only when your customs authority rules it — confirm via TARIC / UK Trade Tariff / USITC HTS.
What's the lead time on a Chinese robot?
The quote often comes within one business day (robosino.com), but build-plus-shipping is a band by track — cobots/SCARA shorter, humanoids/embodied-AI longest and most variable (China Robot Price Index, Q3 2026). Exact weeks come only from a live quote.
Which Incoterm should a first-time importer use?
Usually FOB or CIF, not EXW. EXW looks cheapest but transfers all freight, duty and clearance risk to you, so it rarely reflects true landed cost.
Can I buy a single robot, or is there an MOQ?
For cobots and humanoids a single unit is frequently possible; palletized AMRs more often carry small MOQs. MOQ, like price, is quote-specific — see How MOQ works.
The China Robot Price Index is compiled by Robot Sourcing Index from official customs schedules (WCO HS, EU TARIC, UK Trade Tariff, USITC HTS) and aggregated, anonymized sourcing-quote data, including data from robosino.com. It is dated quarterly and is reference information, not legal, customs or investment advice.