Sourcing carbon fibre and graphite from China

Zero duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, carbon fibres, fabrics of carbon fibres, other articles of carbon fibres, other articles of graphite or other carbon for non-electrical uses, articles of peat and other articles of stone or mineral substances of heading 6815, including those containing magnesite or dolomite, carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.

Graphite electrodes and carbon brushes for electrical use are in heading 8545, prepregs may be classified by their resin, and finished goods such as bicycle frames or fishing rods by what they are; confirm the commodity code.

Specifying carbon fibre

Carbon fibre is bought by grade: tow size such as 3K or 12K, tensile strength and modulus, sizing, and for fabrics the weave, areal weight and width. Tensile properties of tow are tested to ISO 10618, and laminates are usually tested for tensile, flexural and interlaminar shear strength against the buyer's drawing. For moulded parts, specify the lay-up, fibre volume fraction, resin system and surface finish.

Prepregs cure slowly even when frozen, so ask for the manufacture date, out-life and storage temperature, and ship them refrigerated with temperature records. Carbon dust from cutting and sanding is conductive and an irritant, so ask for the safety data sheet.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 5,000 carbon fibre tubes and plates, commodity code 6815 13 00 00, bought for £38,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance, so £39,800 is the value customs works from. No duty is due on carbon fibre articles; import VAT at 20% of £39,800 is £7,960. If you are VAT-registered, that VAT is normally reclaimable. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

What goes wrong

Carbon fibre fails on grade, voids and appearance. Fibre sold as a high-strength grade may be a standard grade, tubes and plates can have voids or resin-rich areas that weaken them, and parts sold as carbon can be glass fibre with a thin carbon skin. Cosmetic parts show print-through, pinholes and wavy weave, and prepreg that has spent too long at room temperature no longer cures properly.

Ask for the fibre maker's certificate and test tensile and flexural strength on sample laminates, section a sample part to check the lay-up and voids, weigh parts against the specified weight, inspect the surface under raking light, and check prepreg dates and cold-chain records on arrival.

Cambridge China Bridge sources carbon fibre fabric, tubes, plates, moulded parts and graphite articles, with grades, testing and cold-chain handling agreed before the order. Read how we source composite materials.