Sourcing carbon-fibre prepregs from China

Zero duty depends on classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, all supplied lines under heading 6815 carry 0% duty for goods from China. The heading includes carbon fibres, carbon-fibre fabrics and other carbon-fibre articles for non-electrical uses. The supplied data lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control.

Prepregs may be classified by their resin. Do not assume that impregnated fabric has the same code as dry carbon fabric. The table separates possible carbon-fibre article classifications from the underlying fibres and dry fabrics; the prepreg entries apply only after classification is confirmed. See the woven carbon-fibre fabric guide for the wider heading.

Give your customs broker the resin composition, fibre construction, material form and intended use before confirming the commodity code. The illustrative order assumes the stated carbon-fibre article code has been confirmed; it does not establish the classification of another prepreg.

Specify the resin, cure and usable life

Specify the fibre manufacturer and grade, woven or unidirectional construction, fibre areal weight, resin system, resin content, width and release backing. Agree the cure schedule for your process and the properties to test on a sample laminate. Approve material cured using your intended equipment rather than relying on the appearance of an uncured roll.

Ask for the manufacture date, frozen storage life, permitted time outside cold storage and storage temperature. Prepregs can continue curing even when frozen. Agree refrigerated transport, temperature records and how cumulative time outside storage will be recorded through dispatch and receipt.

UK REACH generally applies to substances on their own, in mixtures and in articles. Ask a chemical compliance adviser to assess the supplied material's status. Substances and mixtures placed on the Great Britain market must be classified and labelled under its chemical classification rules. Hazardous chemicals supplied for workplace use require safety data sheets.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative production batch of woven prepreg rolls, assuming classification as carbon-fibre articles is confirmed under 6815 13 00 00, invoiced at £38,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £39,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £39,800, so it is £7,960. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match roll labels, batch certificates and material documents to the agreed fibre grade and resin system.

Cold chain: check manufacture dates, temperature records and recorded time outside storage before accepting the usable life claimed.

Roll condition: inspect packaging, backing, width, fibre alignment and visible dry or resin-rich areas against the approved sample.

Cure trial: make a sample laminate using the agreed cure schedule and check the specified properties. Arrange testing and certification support before shipment.

What goes wrong

A roll may look acceptable but have spent too long outside cold storage and no longer cure properly. Missing temperature records make its history difficult to assess. Separate affected rolls from accepted stock while the supplier reviews the batch records and a cure trial.

A substituted fibre grade or resin system can defeat an otherwise correct lay-up. Resin-rich areas, dry patches and disturbed fibre alignment also need investigation. Keep batch identity through cutting and curing so a failed laminate can be traced to the supplied material.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.