Sourcing flexible metal conduit from China

Duty on flexible metallic electrical conduit

Heading 8307 covers flexible tubing of base metal, with or without fittings. For electrical conduit, distinguish steel construction from aluminium or other base metal. The table shows product variants sharing the supplied tariff lines, rather than separate codes for each finish. See the wider flexible metal hoses guide.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 November 2026, both supplied commodity lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied facts list no anti-dumping or countervailing duties, suspensions or attached import controls. Import VAT is separate from customs duty.

Confirm the commodity code using the actual construction, material and supplied fittings. Give your broker a cross-section, material description and product photographs rather than relying on the supplier's description of it as cable protection.

Specify the conduit and connector together

Specify the metal, strip thickness, interlocked construction, internal bore, outside diameter, coil length and minimum bend radius. State whether the conduit will remain stationary or flex repeatedly. For a covered version, describe the jacket material and intended exposure to water, oil, heat and sunlight.

Order connector samples with the conduit. Agree thread form, enclosure entry, retention method and any sealing claim for the assembled joint. Ask for evidence supporting crush resistance, repeated bending and electrical continuity where these are part of the specification.

HSE says workplace articles fall under general supply safety duties where more specific product safety law does not apply. Those duties include safe-use information and necessary testing or examination, so request installation instructions and evidence for the exact conduit and connector combination.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20,000 metres of galvanised steel flexible electrical conduit under 8307 10 00 90, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £25,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £25,500, so it is £5,100. 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

Dimensions: measure the bore, outside diameter and supplied length against the purchase specification; trial-fit connectors and the intended cable bundle.

Construction: check strip interlocking, cut ends and the internal surface for openings, burrs and sharp edges that could damage cable insulation.

Performance: bend samples to the agreed radius and inspect for opening seams, crushing or jacket splits; check connector retention and specified continuity.

Finish and packing: inspect galvanising or stainless finish for corrosion, check jacket damage and confirm coil identification against the order. Use an agreed quality inspection checklist.

What goes wrong

A matching nominal size can hide a different bore or connector fit. Thin strip can flatten at bends, interlocked seams can open, and rough cut ends can scrape cable insulation. A jacket can look intact while the connector joint admits water.

Approve a joined sample rather than a loose coil alone. Put the agreed dimensions, bend behaviour, connector fit and environmental claims into the purchase specification, then compare shipment samples with that approved assembly.

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.