Sourcing aluminium tubes and aerosol cans

6% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, aluminium collapsible tubular containers, containers of a kind used for aerosols, containers manufactured from foil not over 0.2 mm, and other aluminium casks, drums, cans and boxes of 300 litres or less carried 6% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Tinplate cans and steel drums are in chapter 73; see the metal cans guide and confirm the commodity code.

All the lines in the table above are in the aluminium sector of the UK carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), which applies to imports from 1 January 2027. An importer who expects £50,000 or more of CBAM goods within 30 days, or has imported that much in the previous 12 months, must register, keep records for 6 years, and should ask suppliers for emissions data now. See our UK CBAM guide.

Aerosols, food contact and lacquers

Filled aerosol dispensers must meet the Aerosol Dispensers Regulations 2009, which set pressure and capacity limits, testing of the can, and the marking and warnings on the pack, so empty cans bought for filling need a burst and deformation pressure rating the filler can rely on, and the filler takes responsibility for the finished aerosol. Aerosols are also dangerous goods in transport once filled. For steel alternatives, see our steel aerosol can sourcing guide.

Foil trays, bottles and tubes for food are food contact materials under Regulation 1935/2004, and internal lacquers must be declared for the food or product they will hold. Tubes for cosmetics and medicines need lacquers compatible with the formula, and the tube's crimp and cap must seal. See the packaging guide and the bottle caps and closures guide. For bottle seals, see our induction sealing foil liners guide.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 1 million aluminium foil food containers with lids, commodity code 7612 90 30 00, bought for £30,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance, so £33,000 is the value customs works from. Duty at the 6% rate for foil containers is £1,980. VAT at 20% applies to £34,980, so £6,996. A VAT-registered buyer usually recovers the VAT, so the border adds £1,980 to the landed cost. Foil containers are light but bulky, so freight is a tenth of the customs value. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

What goes wrong

Aluminium containers fail on thickness, lacquer and seals. Foil trays are thinner than the gauge ordered so they buckle when full, lids do not crimp on, and trays leak at the fold. Aerosol cans have pinholes or weak domes and fail pressure tests, internal lacquer has pores so the product corrodes the can, tubes crack at the shoulder or the lacquer flakes when squeezed, and print registration drifts.

Measure foil and wall thickness on samples from each lot, test lid fit and tray rigidity with a filled load, ask for deformation and burst pressure tests on aerosol cans and check the rating, run a lacquer porosity test and a storage test with your product, flex-test tubes for cracking and lacquer adhesion, and check print against the approved proof.

Cambridge China Bridge sources aluminium tubes, aerosol cans, foil containers and bottles for fillers and brands, with pressure, lacquer and thickness tests agreed before production. See our aluminium packaging sourcing.