Sourcing aluminium cookware from China
Aluminium pans, bakeware, kitchen articles and foil containers from China pay 6% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. Anything that touches food is a food contact material, so the factory has to show the aluminium and any non-stick coating are suitable, and the base thickness and induction plate decide how the pan performs. Cambridge China Bridge sources own-brand aluminium cookware.
Aluminium pans, bakeware and foil containers pay 6% UK duty from China. Food contact evidence, coatings, induction bases and thickness to check.
Duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, cast and other aluminium table, kitchen and household articles, and articles made from aluminium foil up to 0.2 mm thick, such as foil containers, carried 6% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Stainless steel and cast iron cookware sit under different headings with their own rates, so a mixed range needs a commodity code per material; the homeware guide covers the wider category.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cast aluminium table, kitchen or household articles | 7615 10 10 90 | 6% | None |
| Articles of aluminium foil not exceeding 0.2 mm (foil containers) | 7615 10 30 00 | 6% | None |
| Other aluminium table, kitchen or household articles | 7615 10 80 90 | 6% | None |
Food contact is the rule
A pan, a baking tray or a foil container is a food contact material, so it must not transfer its constituents to food in quantities that could endanger health. For coated cookware the coating is the question: ask for the coating supplier, its declaration of compliance and migration test reports for the finished product, not only for the raw coating. The food contact materials guide sets out what the documentation should contain.
Keep the documents with each batch, because a change of coating supplier is a change of product, and ask for notice of any change in writing.
Thickness, base and handle
Base thickness is what separates a pan that lasts from one that warps. Specify the wall and base thickness, the alloy, and for induction hobs the bonded steel plate, then measure them on production pieces at inspection and test a sample on an induction hob.
Handles are the other failure: rivets that loosen and handles that get hot. Ask for a handle pull test and a heat test, and check the oven-safe temperature claimed on the box against the handle material.
Coating quality
Non-stick coatings are sold on the number of layers and on abrasion tests, so ask for the test method and result for the coated pan, and check coating thickness and adhesion on samples from the batch.
Cambridge China Bridge sources own-brand aluminium cookware, bakeware and foil containers, with food contact evidence and the physical tests settled before production. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on aluminium pans from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, aluminium table, kitchen and household articles, including foil containers, carried 6% duty from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
What food contact evidence should a cookware factory give?
For coated pans, the coating supplier, its declaration of compliance and migration test reports on the finished product, kept with each batch.
How do I stop pans warping?
Specify wall and base thickness, the alloy and any induction plate, and measure them on production pieces at inspection.
What should be tested on cookware handles?
A pull test for rivets and fixings and a heat test, checked against the oven-safe temperature on the packaging.