Sourcing aluminium cookware circles from China
Aluminium cookware circles from China carry 6% UK duty across the listed candidate lines, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing duty. Food-contact materials must be safe and suitable for their intended use; agree alloy, temper and forming trials before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources aluminium cookware circles.
UK duty on aluminium cookware circles
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 7606 covers aluminium plates, sheets and strip exceeding 0.2 mm thick. This guide concerns flat circular blanks for forming cookware. The table separates non-alloy aluminium from aluminium alloys. The unbacked circle lines describe thickness exceeding 0.2 mm but not exceeding 6 mm; the other lines are candidates only where the material construction fits their description.
All listed candidate lines carry 6% ordinary duty for goods from China. The supplied record lists no anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for these lines. Suspensions elsewhere in the heading cover specified products or uses, including balcony-part sheet; do not apply those concessions to cookware circles simply because they share the heading. For beverage-can material, see our aluminium can body stock guide.
Confirm alloy composition, thickness, circular form, backing and internal layers with your broker using finding your commodity code. See the wider aluminium sheet guide for other forms. Confirm the carbon border adjustment mechanism's implementation timing and whether your line falls within its scope with HMRC or your customs broker, using the UK carbon border adjustment guide as a starting point. Compare landed costs with UK import duty and VAT. For reflective sheet, see our guide to sourcing mirror-finish aluminium sheets.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-alloy aluminium circles, unbacked, over 0.2 mm to 6 mm thick | 7606 91 00 86 | 6% | None |
| Other non-alloy aluminium circles, subject to construction checks | 7606 91 00 88 | 6% | None |
| Aluminium alloy cookware circles, unbacked, over 0.2 mm to 6 mm thick | 7606 92 00 92 | 6% | None |
| Other aluminium alloy circles, subject to construction checks | 7606 92 00 95 | 6% | None |
Alloy, temper and cookware forming trials
Specify alloy composition, temper, diameter, thickness tolerance, flatness, edge burr condition and surface finish. Describe the intended deep drawing or spinning process and whether the finished pan will be bare, anodised or coated. Ask for batch-linked mill certificates and agree how tensile properties and hardness will be checked. Approve production-material circles through your own tooling before accepting bulk stock.
Food-contact materials must be safe and suitable for their intended use. Ask for composition evidence and migration reports relevant to the intended cookware, foods and cooking conditions. Plan checks on the finished pan after forming, cleaning and any coating, rather than treating a report on the blank as complete evidence. Discuss the evidence with a laboratory using the food-contact materials guide.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of unbacked aluminium alloy circles for a small cookware manufacturer; FOB and freight values are illustrative whole pounds. under 7606 92 00 92, invoiced at £36,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £40,000. Duty at 6% is £2,400. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £42,400, so it is £8,480. Import taxes total £10,880; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,400 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Material: match mill certificates and batch labels to the ordered alloy and temper; investigate substitutions and mixed batches.
Dimensions: measure diameter, thickness across the face, roundness and flatness against the agreed drawing; inspect the cut edge for burrs.
Forming: trial circles from the production batch in the intended process; check cracking, uneven rim height, surface roughening and inconsistent springback.
Surface and packing: check scratches, dents, oil residue, water staining and circles sticking together; confirm dry interleaving and batch identification during quality inspection.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
An acceptable diameter can hide unsuitable temper or uneven thickness. Circles may crack during drawing, form an uneven rim or develop a rough surface after stretching. Keep an approved formed sample as well as a flat blank, and agree acceptance criteria for the actual forming process.
Deep scratches can remain visible after forming, while wet stacks can arrive stained and stuck together. A generic food-grade statement gives little information about composition or intended use. Ask for reports that identify the material tested and describe the conditions, then review the finished cookware evidence after processing.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on aluminium cookware circles from China?
The listed candidate lines carry 6% ordinary duty. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for these lines.
Which commodity code covers aluminium cookware circles?
Unbacked circles may fit 7606 91 00 86 for non-alloy aluminium or 7606 92 00 92 for alloys. Confirm thickness and construction with your broker before declaring either code.
How do I check whether circles will deep draw?
Specify alloy, temper and thickness tolerance, then trial circles from the production batch in your tooling. Check cracking, uneven rim height and surface roughening.
Is a food-grade certificate enough for cookware circles?
Ask what material and use conditions it covers. Request composition evidence and relevant migration reports, and assess the finished pan after forming, cleaning and any coating.