Sourcing bitumen roofing membranes from China
Articles of asphalt or bitumen from China, including reinforced roofing membranes, torch-on and self-adhesive rolls, felts and shingles, pay 0% UK duty on both lines of heading 6807, with no anti-dumping duty. Roofing and waterproofing sheets covered by a designated standard need a declaration of performance and UK marking under the retained Construction Products Regulation.
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0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 6807 covers articles of asphalt or of similar material, for example petroleum bitumen or coal tar pitch. Both lines, in rolls (6807 10 00 00) and other (6807 90 00 00), carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure, no registration and no suspension.
Bitumen itself is a chapter 27 product, and roof coverings such as slate and clay tiles are covered in our roofing slate guide and clay roof tiles guide; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of asphalt or bitumen in rolls (membranes, felts) | 6807 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Other articles of asphalt or bitumen (such as shingles and tiles) | 6807 90 00 00 | 0% | None |
Construction product rules
Under Article 4 of the retained Construction Products Regulation (EU) No 305/2011, when a construction product is covered by a designated standard or a UK Technical Assessment, the manufacturer must draw up a declaration of performance when it is placed on the market. Article 9 requires the UK marking to show, among other things, the declaration reference, the declared performance and the harmonised technical specification applied.
Ask for the declaration of performance, the test reports behind it and the external fire performance class for roof use before ordering, and make sure the importer's name and address appear as the regulation requires.
Specifying membranes
Specify the bitumen type (oxidised, SBS or APP modified), reinforcement (polyester or glass fibre), thickness, roll size, surface finish (sand, mineral or film), tensile strength, low-temperature flexibility, heat resistance, and packing that stops rolls deforming in heat.
Worked duty example
Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 2,000 rolls of reinforced bitumen roofing membrane under 6807 10 00 00. At £26,000 free on board and £3,500 to ship and insure, the customs value is £29,500. With 0% duty on bitumen membrane, the only charge is import VAT: 20% of £29,500, or £5,900. 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
Dimensions: check thickness, width and roll length against the declaration.
Performance: check low-temperature flexibility and heat resistance test results for the batch.
Packing: check rolls are stored upright, not deformed or stuck together, and labelled with the UK marking.
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What goes wrong
Bitumen membrane orders fail on thickness, heat and paperwork. Membranes are thinner than declared, rolls deform or stick together in a hot container, the modifier content is lower than claimed, and the declaration of performance is missing or does not match the product.
Test samples before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources bitumen roofing and waterproofing membranes for UK roofing contractors and merchants, checking the factory first. See factory verification.
Related guides: Concrete admixtures and mortars from China and Sourcing petroleum coke and bitumen from China.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on bitumen roofing membrane from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, articles of asphalt or bitumen in rolls under 6807 10 00 00 carried 0% from China.
Does roofing membrane need UKCA marking?
If it is covered by a designated standard, it needs a declaration of performance and appropriate conformity marking; compliant CE marking remains accepted in Great Britain as an alternative to UK marking.
Is bitumen itself in heading 6807?
No. Bitumen is a chapter 27 product; 6807 covers articles made from it.
What fails most often?
Thickness below the declaration, rolls deformed by heat and missing declarations of performance.