Sourcing bare stranded copper wire from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, stranded wire, cables, plaited bands and the like, of copper, not electrically insulated, heading 7413, carried 0% on goods from China, including a listed loudspeaker centring ring part, with no anti-dumping measure.

Insulated wire and cable is under heading 8544 at different rates, and single-strand copper wire under 7408, so confirm the commodity code from whether the conductor is insulated and stranded. Copper tube is covered in our copper tubes guide.

Standards and conductor checks

Conductor classes and maximum resistance per kilometre are set out in BS EN 60228, which is the usual way to check that a stranded conductor has its stated cross-section. Lightning protection conductors and earth electrodes are specified to BS EN 62561-2. Ask for a supplier statement on substances of very high concern under UK REACH for any coating or plating.

Specifying stranded copper

Specify nominal cross-section, conductor class and strand count, copper grade, bare or tinned, lay length and direction, resistance per kilometre, for braids the width and flexibility, drum or coil length and weight, and end terminations if any.

Worked duty example

Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 8 tonnes of bare stranded copper earth conductor under 7413 00 00 90. At £76,000 free on board and £1,800 to ship and insure, the customs value is £77,800. With 0% duty on stranded copper, the only charge is import VAT: 20% of £77,800, or £15,560. VAT-registered businesses usually recover that in their next return. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.

Inspection checklist

Resistance: measure DC resistance of samples and correct to 20°C, comparing against the maximum for the stated class and cross-section.

Construction: count strands, measure strand diameter and overall diameter, and check for broken strands and oxidation.

Weight and length: weigh drums and check length markings against weight and cross-section.

What goes wrong

Stranded copper orders fail on cross-section and material. Conductors are made smaller than stated so resistance is too high, fewer or thinner strands are used, copper-clad aluminium or recycled copper is substituted, tinning is patchy, and drums are short on length. For the reverse trade in scrap, see exporting UK copper scrap to China.

Measure resistance and strands, weigh drums, and check the copper grade. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources bare copper conductors and braids for UK electrical wholesalers and lightning protection installers, checking the maker's test equipment first. See factory verification.

Related guides: Aluminium wire and conductors from China.

For insulated cable and custom wire harnesses, see Electrical cable and wire harnesses from China.