Sourcing aluminium bifold doors from China

Duty on complete doors and separate components

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 7610 covers aluminium structures and structural parts, including doors, frames and thresholds. Complete aluminium bifold doors fall within the door line, 7610 10 00 00. The other table rows describe possible separate fabrication or installation supplies, rather than alternative codes to choose for a complete door.

The supplied tariff record shows 6% duty on goods from China across these lines. It lists no anti-dumping duty or suspension on the door line, but attaches import control of fluorinated greenhouse gases. Confirm the applicable declaration requirement with your customs broker. Products containing banned fluorinated gases must not be placed on the Great Britain market. Unassembled structural profiles have an anti-dumping measure recorded without a rate, so check it before ordering.

Send the broker drawings, photographs and a packing list showing whether the shipment contains complete doors, frames, profiles or structural kits. Use finding your commodity code to settle classification. The aluminium windows guide covers the wider heading.

Specify the folding layout and threshold

Provide the opening dimensions and a drawing showing the viewing side, folding direction, panel arrangement, access leaf and handle positions. Agree whether glazing arrives fitted or separately packed. Specify the glass build-up, frame finish, thermal break, seals, rollers, hinges, locks and replacement hardware.

Draw the threshold together with the finished floor and drainage arrangement. Ask for performance documents and test reports identifying the proposed door system, glazing and configuration. Legitimately CE-marked construction products can continue to be supplied in Great Britain; check the evidence behind the marking through testing and certification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative batch of aluminium bifold door sets under 7610 10 00 00, invoiced at £60,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £63,000. Duty at 6% is £3,780. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £66,780, so it is £13,356. Import taxes total £17,136; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £3,780 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Geometry: check frame dimensions, diagonals, panel alignment and the opening direction against the approved drawing.

Operation: assemble a sample set and check folding, roller travel, hinge adjustment, locking points and gasket compression.

Glazing and finish: compare the glass specification and identification with the order; inspect edges, seals, coating colour and surface damage.

Packing and arrival: check corner protection, glass supports, separate hardware packs and installation drawings. Photograph damaged crates before unpacking and reconcile the contents with the packing list. Arrange quality inspection around these checks.

What goes wrong

A reversed viewing convention produces doors that fold towards the wrong side. Threshold drawings that ignore the finished floor leave awkward steps or drainage conflicts. Misaligned frames, stiff rollers and poorly adjusted locks can make an otherwise undamaged set difficult to operate.

Reports for a different system leave the buyer without evidence for the supplied configuration. Glass can arrive with damaged edges, finishes can rub during transport, and missing seals or hardware can stop installation. Approve an assembled sample and a labelled packing plan before releasing the shipment.

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.