Coated steel sheet and tinplate from China

Duty, steel measure and anti-dumping

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel 600 mm or wider, clad, plated or coated, heading 7210, carried an ordinary third-country duty of 0% on goods from China, but every line except electrolytically zinc-coated steel (7210 30) was under the UK steel measure: 0% while the quota for countries other than EU members has volume, 50% once it is used up. The tariff shows the same structure continuing from 1 October 2026.

Three separate anti-dumping measures also apply, each to different ten-digit lines set by the coating and the steel's chemistry. Tinplate, chrome-coated and many other coated lines carry 49.98% for exporters not named, with one named producer at 27.85%, until 12 March 2031. Hot-dip galvanised and aluminium-zinc coated lines within the chemical definitions (lines ending 20 and 30) and magnesium-zinc coated 7210 90 80 92 carry 27.90% residual, with named producers from 0% to 27.90%. Painted or plastic-coated non-alloy lines 7210 70 80 11 and 91 carry 13.60% residual, with named producers from 0% to 26.1%, until 4 May 2029. Named rates apply only with the invoice the measure requires.

Classification decides the measure

Because the anti-dumping measures follow the ten-digit line, the mill certificate must show the coating type and weight and the steel's chemical composition, so the right line can be declared. A galvanised coil outside the chemical definition has no anti-dumping duty, while one inside it carries 27.90% for an unnamed exporter.

Stainless steel sheet is a different heading (see our stainless steel sheet guide). UK trade remedies are made under the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018, so check the tariff for the exact line on the day you declare.

Specifying coated steel

Specify the product standard and grade, such as galvanised steel to BS EN 10346 or tinplate to BS EN 10202, thickness and width tolerances, coating mass per side, surface finish and passivation, paint system and colour for pre-painted sheet, coil weight and inner diameter, and packing against moisture.

Worked duty example

Take a hypothetical 60 tonnes of hot-dip galvanised coil under 7210 49 00 30, from an exporter without its own rate: £42,000 free on board plus £5,000 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £47,000. Within the steel quota the ordinary duty is 0% and the residual anti-dumping duty of 27.90% is £13,113, so import VAT is 20% of £60,113, which is £12,022.60. Once the quota is used up, the 50% steel duty adds £23,500, so duties total £36,613 and VAT rises to 20% of £83,613, £16,722.60. A named producer with a lower individual rate and the required invoice would pay less anti-dumping duty. The figures are illustrative; step by step in UK import duty and VAT.

Inspection checklist

Mill certificate: check the inspection certificate for each coil gives the grade, chemical composition, coating mass and mechanical properties, and that these support the ten-digit line to be declared.

Coating and dimensions: measure coating mass or thickness, sheet thickness and width on samples, and check for bare spots, white rust, scratches and edge damage.

Paint and packing: for pre-painted coil check colour, gloss and paint adhesion, and check coils are wrapped against moisture, strapped and marked with coil numbers.

What goes wrong

Coated steel imports fail on classification and duty. A coil is declared on a line that does not match its chemistry and coating, the steel quota is used up before arrival so 50% applies, the invoice lacks the declaration a named producer's lower rate requires, and coils arrive with white rust from damp storage.

Match the mill certificate to the line, check quota balance before shipping, and confirm the invoice wording with the producer. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources coated steel sheet and coil for UK fabricators and stockholders, checking the mill's certificates and the anti-dumping position before an order. See factory verification.