Sourcing aluminium tubes and pipes from China
Aluminium tubes and pipes from China pay 6% UK duty. Seamless and other non-welded tubes of up to 14 kg per metre also carry the aluminium extrusions anti-dumping duty: 35.1% for exporters not named, 15.4% for non-sampled co-operating exporters, to 16 December 2027. Welded tubes, tubes over 14 kg/m and listed large seamless tubes are treated differently.
Aluminium tubes and pipes from China pay 6% UK duty, and seamless tubes up to 14 kg/m carry anti-dumping duty of up to 35.1%. Exemptions and tests explained.
6% duty plus anti-dumping
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 7608 covers aluminium tubes and pipes, of unalloyed aluminium or of aluminium alloys, welded or not. Every ordinary line carried 6% on goods from China, and civil aircraft lines have their own codes.
The aluminium extrusions anti-dumping measure applies to the non-alloyed lines and to non-welded alloy tubes, for aluminium containing not more than 99.3% aluminium. The rates are 35.1% for exporters not named, 15.4% for non-sampled co-operating exporters, 15.6% for Press Metal International Group, 11.4% for Haomei Group and 0% for Shandong Nanshan, each only with a signed invoice declaration, until 16 December 2027. Welded alloy tubes (7608 20 20) carry no anti-dumping measure.
The measure exempts structures or parts of structures, sub-assemblies, finished goods kits, welded tubes and pipes, extrusions with a maximum cross-sectional dimension over 310 mm and goods over 14 kg per metre. Listed seamless alloy tubes also have 0% duty suspensions to 31 December 2028: extruded tubes of 60 to 420 mm outside diameter with a 10 to 80 mm wall, and two sizes of 6061 tube for high-pressure vessels under authorised use. The suspension removes the 6% duty, not the anti-dumping duty, so check the weight exemption separately. Our aluminium extrusions guide covers the same measure on profiles, and the anti-dumping duty checker shows it on each code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unalloyed, unassembled, not welded, up to 99.3% aluminium | 7608 10 00 80 | 6% | 35.1% residual; 0% to 15.6% named exporters |
| Unalloyed, other | 7608 10 00 89 | 6% | Measure on the line; scope limited to up to 99.3% aluminium |
| Alloy, welded | 7608 20 20 90 | 6% | None |
| Alloy, not welded, not further worked than extruded | 7608 20 81 90 | 6%; listed 6061 tubes 0% to 31 Dec 2028 (authorised use) | 35.1% residual; 0% to 15.6% named exporters |
| Alloy, not welded, other (e.g. drawn) | 7608 20 89 90 | 6%; listed seamless tubes 0% to 31 Dec 2028 | 35.1% residual; 0% to 15.6% named exporters |
Standards
Specify the alloy and temper to BS EN 573-3 for chemical composition and BS EN 755-2 for the mechanical properties of extruded tube, with tolerances to BS EN 755-7 for seamless extruded tube or BS EN 754-7 for cold-drawn seamless tube. Tubes for pressure equipment or high-pressure vessels need the design code and material certificates the equipment maker specifies.
Specifying tubes
Specify alloy and temper, seamless or welded, extruded or drawn, outside diameter, wall thickness and their tolerances, straightness, length and end finish, surface finish (mill, anodised, powder-coated), weight per metre, marking, and packing with separators to prevent abrasion. Ask for a mill certificate to EN 10204 3.1 for each cast.
Ask whether the extruder is one of the named companies in the anti-dumping measure and whether it will sign the invoice declaration, because that changes the duty by up to 35.1 percentage points.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 20 tonnes of seamless extruded 6061 alloy tube, 50 mm outside diameter with a 3 mm wall (about 1.2 kg per metre, well under 14 kg/m), commodity code 7608 20 81 90, bought for £60,000 free on board with £3,000 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £63,000. Customs duty at 6% is £3,780. If the exporter is not named in the anti-dumping measure, anti-dumping duty at 35.1% adds £22,113; from a non-sampled co-operating exporter with a signed invoice declaration it would be 15.4%, or £9,702. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the value plus both duties: with the 35.1% rate that is 20% of £88,893, or £17,778.60, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The duties are not reclaimable, so the exporter's name decides the landed cost. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
Inspection checklist
Material: check the mill certificate against BS EN 573-3 composition and BS EN 755-2 properties, and verify alloy with a handheld spectrometer on sampled tubes.
Dimensions: measure outside diameter, wall thickness at several points around the tube, ovality, straightness and length against BS EN 755-7 or BS EN 754-7 tolerances, and weigh sample lengths to confirm the weight per metre.
Surface and documents: check for die lines, scratches, corrosion and anodising colour, and check the invoice shows the exporter name and the signed anti-dumping declaration where one is needed.
What goes wrong
Aluminium tube orders fail on alloy, tolerances and anti-dumping paperwork. A cheaper alloy is shipped under a 6061 or 6063 certificate, walls are thin on one side, tubes arrive scratched from poor packing, and the invoice lacks the declaration, so the residual 35.1% is charged.
Check the exporter's status and the declaration wording before shipping, test alloy on arrival and pack with separators. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources aluminium tube for UK fabricators and manufacturers, checking the extruder and its anti-dumping status before the order. See second supplier.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on aluminium tubes from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, aluminium tubes and pipes carried 6% from China, and non-welded tubes up to 14 kg/m also carry anti-dumping duty of up to 35.1%.
Do welded aluminium tubes pay anti-dumping duty?
No. Welded alloy tubes (7608 20 20) carry no anti-dumping measure, and the extrusions measure exempts welded tubes and pipes.
How do I get the lower anti-dumping rate?
Buy from a named or co-operating exporter and have it sign the invoice declaration; without it the 35.1% residual rate applies.
Where are aluminium pipe fittings covered?
Fittings are heading 7609; see our aluminium pipe fittings guide.