Sourcing aluminium screw-top tins from China

UK duty on aluminium screw-top tins

Heading 7612 covers aluminium containers for materials other than compressed or liquefied gas, of capacity not exceeding 300 litres, without mechanical or thermal equipment. Ordinary rigid aluminium screw-top packaging tins are candidates for 7612 90 80 00. The table shows product variants under that same line. See the wider aluminium containers guide.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, the listed heading lines all carried 6% duty for goods from China. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension is recorded. The tariff attaches an import control of fluorinated greenhouse gases. The importer should confirm the applicable requirement and declaration with their customs broker for these empty tins; do not assume an exemption from the truncated tariff advice.

Confirm the material, construction, capacity and whether the tins arrive empty through finding your commodity code. Confirm with your customs broker whether these aluminium containers fall within the forthcoming UK carbon border adjustment mechanism described in the UK CBAM guide.

Specify the thread, liner and internal coating

Specify aluminium alloy, body and lid thickness, usable fill capacity, external dimensions and tolerances. Agree the thread profile, opening and closing torque, sealing liner material and whether the tin must resist leakage with your actual contents. Keep an approved body-and-lid sample together; a lid that fits the sample may bind on production bodies.

For food use, food contact rules cover packaging expected to touch food or transfer constituents to it. Ask for the alloy, coating and liner composition, supplier declarations and test reports matching the intended contents and storage conditions. For balms or waxes, agree formula compatibility and a filled storage trial. Specify print colours, artwork position and the acceptable appearance of seams and rolled edges.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative batch of empty aluminium screw-top tins with matching lids under 7612 90 80 00, invoiced at £3,000 free on board, with £2,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,200. Duty at 6% is £312. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,512, so it is £1,102.40. Import taxes total £1,414.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £312 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Body and rim: measure dimensions and wall thickness against the agreed drawing; check dents, ovality, burrs and the rolled edge.

Thread and lid: interchange lids and bodies across sampled cartons; check cross-threading, binding, opening torque and repeated closure.

Liner and coating: check liner seating, coating coverage, scratches and adhesion; run the agreed filled compatibility and leakage checks.

Print and packing: compare decoration with the approved proof; check scuffing, cleanliness, carton counts and protection against crushed lids at inspection.

What goes wrong

Thin lids distort during tightening, mismatched threads jam, and uneven liners leave a leak path. Internal coating damage can expose aluminium to the contents. Treat a screw lid as a closure design, rather than evidence that the tin is airtight or suitable for liquids.

Decoration can rub off where tins touch during transport, while compressed cartons distort rims. Agree packing protection and acceptance criteria before production. On arrival, compare sampled tins with the approved sample and repeat lid-fit checks before releasing the batch for filling.

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.