Sourcing alloy-steel tyre-bead wire rod from China

Duty depends on chemistry and coil form

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 7227 covers other alloy-steel bars and rods, hot-rolled in irregularly wound coils. This guide concerns feedstock for drawing tyre-bead wire. The table gives chemistry-dependent classification alternatives, rather than interchangeable bead-wire grades. See the wider alloy-steel wire rod guide.

The silico-manganese line lists 0% duty; the other table lines list 50% and are marked for the steel measure. Every supplied line records 24.00% residual anti-dumping duty for China. Steel quota relief does not remove anti-dumping duty, which cumulates with steel duty outside quota. The extract records no countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control.

Confirm the commodity code from heat chemistry, processing history and delivered coil form. Do not assume the tyre-bead end use determines the code. Have your broker check quota availability and any claimed producer-specific anti-dumping rate before shipment. Use the import duty and VAT guide when budgeting; the illustrative order also needs an anti-dumping allowance.

Specify rod for your bead-wire drawing process

State that you require hot-rolled alloy-steel rod for subsequent drawing into tyre-bead wire. Agree the steel grade and chemical limits, including carbon and alloying elements, together with diameter, ovality, delivery condition and surface acceptance criteria. Explain your drawing and subsequent coating process so the mill can propose material for a trial.

Agree limits for seams, laps, decarburisation and inclusions where these affect your process. Request heat-linked chemistry and mechanical results, and agree sampling and dispute testing. Record coil weight, dimensions, winding and packaging against your lifting and pay-off equipment. Use factory verification to check the mill and the records it supplies.

Review UK REACH obligations for the supplied material before importing or selling it in Great Britain. Its scope includes individual substances on their own, in mixtures and in articles. For solid wood coil supports, specify ISPM15 marks; certification cannot replace the mark.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of alloy-steel tyre-bead wire rod under 7227 20 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £20,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £20,000, so it is £4,000. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match coil tags, heat numbers and chemistry reports to the order and packing list; isolate mixed or untraceable heats.

Dimensions: measure rod diameter and ovality at agreed sample positions; check coil dimensions and winding against the pay-off equipment.

Surface and packing: inspect for seams, laps, rust, heavy scale, damaged straps and wet packaging; check marks on any solid wood supports.

Drawing trial: run representative material through the intended drawing and coating process; record breaks, surface defects and agreed mechanical results before releasing the lot.

What goes wrong

A supplier may offer finished drawn bead wire when the buyer needs hot-rolled feedstock, or substitute a commercially similar grade with different chemistry. Keep the processing description and acceptance specification in the order. Surface defects can open during drawing, while inconsistent material or tangled coils can interrupt production.

Budgeting only for ordinary duty misses the residual anti-dumping charge. A quota allocation does not remove that charge. If the required invoice declaration is missing, the residual rate applies even where a supplier claims a producer-specific rate. Keep the affected coils identifiable while resolving document or quality discrepancies.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.