Sourcing copper tubes and pipes from China

4% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, copper tubes and pipes, heading 7411, carried 4% on goods from China on every line: refined copper tube, straight or in coils, including level wound coils smooth or inner-grooved; brass tube, straight or other; cupro-nickel and nickel silver tube; and other copper alloy tube. No line carried an anti-dumping measure.

Fittings are under heading 7412 (see our copper and brass pipe fittings guide), and insulated or pre-lagged tube may be classified differently, so confirm the commodity code.

Standards and drinking water

Plumbing and heating tube is usually specified to BS EN 1057, and air conditioning and refrigeration tube to BS EN 12735, which also sets internal cleanliness. Tube used for drinking water must meet the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, which require materials of appropriate quality and standard.

Specifying copper tube

Specify outside diameter and wall thickness, temper (annealed, half-hard, hard), straight lengths or coil weight, inner grooving for ACR tube, internal cleanliness and end caps, marking, and packing that prevents dents and ovality.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 20 tonnes of ACR copper tube in level wound coils, commodity code 7411 10 90 10, bought for £190,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance, so £194,000 is the value customs works from. Duty at the 4% rate for copper tube is £7,760. VAT at 20% applies to £201,760, so £40,352. A VAT-registered buyer usually recovers the VAT, so the border adds £7,760 to the landed cost. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

Inspection checklist

Dimensions: measure outside diameter, wall thickness and ovality at several points on sample lengths and coils, and weigh coils against length.

Material and temper: check the mill certificate for copper grade and temper, and run a flare or bend test on samples.

Cleanliness and packing: check ACR tube is capped and clean inside, and that coils and lengths are packed against dents.

What goes wrong

Copper tube orders fail on wall thickness, temper and cleanliness. Walls are thinner than ordered so a tonne holds more metres but fails pressure requirements, temper is wrong so tube cracks on bending, ACR tube has internal residue or moisture, and coils are dented in transit.

Measure walls, test bends and flares, and check caps and packing. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources copper tube for UK plumbing merchants and HVAC installers, checking the mill's test records first. See factory verification.