Aluminium wire and conductors from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 7605 covers aluminium wire and heading 7614 stranded wire, cables and plaited bands of aluminium, not electrically insulated. All six leaves of 7605 and both leaves of 7614 carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure, no registration and no suspension.

Aluminium rod and bars are heading 7604 (see our aluminium extrusions guide), insulated cable is heading 8544, and bare copper conductors are covered in our bare stranded copper wire guide; confirm the commodity code. For aluminium tubing, see our aluminium tubes and pipes guide.

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.

Conductors and copper-clad wire

Overhead line conductors are bought to the network operator's specification and a named conductor standard, so ask for type test and routine test reports covering resistance, breaking load, lay length and zinc coating on steel cores.

Copper-clad aluminium wire has an aluminium core with a thin copper layer. It has higher resistance than solid copper, so it must be described as copper-clad aluminium on invoices, labels and product listings, and checked for cladding thickness.

Specifying aluminium wire

Specify alloy and temper, diameter and tolerance, conductor size and stranding, resistance at 20 degrees C, tensile strength and elongation, steel core grade and coating for steel-cored conductors, grease if any, and drum type, length per drum and end sealing.

Worked duty example

Take a hypothetical order of 20 tonnes of steel-cored aluminium conductor on drums, entered under 7614 10 00 00: £60,000 free on board plus £3,000 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £63,000. Steel-cored aluminium conductor carry no duty, so import VAT of 20% on £63,000, £12,600, is the only tax. A VAT-registered importer normally reclaims it, so the border adds no lasting cost. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.

Inspection checklist

Tests: witness or review resistance, breaking load and dimensional tests for each lot.

Surface: check for scratches, broken or crossed strands and corrosion.

Drums: check drum strength, lagging, length labels and sealed ends.

What goes wrong

Aluminium wire and conductor orders fail on resistance, strand damage and drums. Resistance is above the standard, strands are broken or loose, steel cores are poorly galvanised, and wooden drums collapse in transit.

Test samples before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources aluminium wire and conductors for UK cable makers, utilities contractors and fastener makers, checking the mill first. See factory verification.