Copper and brass sheet and strip from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, copper plates, sheets and strip of a thickness exceeding 0.15 mm, heading 7409, carried 0% on goods from China on every line: refined copper, brass (copper-zinc), bronze (copper-tin), cupro-nickel and nickel silver, and other copper alloys, in coils or not. No line carried an anti-dumping measure, and two listed technical products have 0% suspensions that make no difference at a 0% rate.

Foil of 0.15 mm or less is under heading 7410 (see our copper foil guide), bars and busbars under 7407, and tube under 7411 (see our copper tubes guide).

Standards and materials

Plate, sheet, strip and circles for general purposes are specified to BS EN 1652, and copper sheet for building to BS EN 1172, using the European material designations such as CW004A for electrolytic tough pitch copper or CW508L for brass. Leaded brasses and platings should come with a supplier statement on restricted substances under UK REACH.

Specifying sheet and strip

Specify alloy designation, temper, thickness, width and length or coil weight and inner diameter, tolerances on thickness and flatness, edge condition (mill or slit), surface finish, and interleaving and packing against oxidation.

Worked duty example

Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 15 tonnes of brass strip in coils under 7409 21 00 00. At £105,000 free on board and £2,500 to ship and insure, the customs value is £107,500. With 0% duty on brass strip, the only charge is import VAT: 20% of £107,500, or £21,500. 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

Material: check the mill certificate for alloy and temper, and have a sample tested for composition and hardness if the application is critical.

Dimensions: measure thickness across the width, check width, camber and edge burr on slit strip, and weigh coils against the ordered dimensions.

Surface and packing: check for oxidation, scratches and oil stains, and that coils are wrapped with desiccant.

What goes wrong

Copper sheet orders fail on alloy, temper and gauge. A cheaper alloy or recycled material is substituted, temper is wrong so parts crack in forming, thickness runs to the thin side of tolerance, slit edges have burrs, and coils arrive tarnished. For the reverse trade in scrap, see exporting UK copper scrap to China.

Test composition and hardness, measure thickness, and check packing. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources copper and brass sheet and strip for UK stampers and electrical makers, checking the mill's certificates first. See factory verification. For finished washers and other fasteners, see our copper and brass fasteners guide.