Sourcing steel steam hoses from China

Duty on stainless steel steam hoses

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 8307 covers flexible tubing of base metal, with or without fittings. Stainless steel steam hoses fall within the steel tubing family considered here. The table repeats 8307 10 00 90 for different hose configurations; these are product variants within the same tariff line.

The supplied record gives 0% duty for goods from China under 8307 10 00 90. It lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for this line. A rubber steam hose with an external steel braid is classified by its rubber core under heading 4009.

Send the tube construction, material specification and end-fitting drawings to your customs broker to confirm the commodity code. For other metal hose applications, see the flexible metal hoses guide.

Specify the complete assembly for steam

Specify the corrugated tube and braid materials separately, bore, overall length, wall thickness, fitting material, thread or flange details and end orientation. State steam temperature, operating pressure, pressure cycling, movement and installation geometry. Ask for the allowable pressure at the intended temperature, minimum bend radius and test evidence for the complete assembly. Use ISO 10380 as the industrial corrugated metal hose specification discussed in our wider guide.

Pressure-equipment rules cover equipment above a maximum allowable pressure of 0.5 bar, subject to exclusions; piping can include hoses. Ask the supplier to document the applicable category. Equipment within the sound engineering practice provisions must have adequate instructions and must not carry CE or UKCA conformity marking unless another applicable law requires it. Resolve the assessment route with testing and certification support.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 2,000 threaded stainless steel steam hose assemblies; illustrative order, FOB value and freight 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

Materials: compare tube, braid and fittings with the agreed material certificates; arrange material verification and examine braid wires, corrugations and welds.

Dimensions: measure bore, length and fitting orientation against the approved drawing; gauge threads and check flange mating dimensions.

Testing: match pressure and leak-test records to the supplied assemblies and agreed test procedure; check the stated rating at steam temperature rather than relying on a room-temperature result.

Identification and instructions: match hose identification to the drawings and test records; check installation and handling instructions. For pressure equipment placed on the Great Britain market, the importer must ensure instructions are clear, legible and easily understandable English. Arrange a shipment inspection.

What goes wrong

A hose advertised for steam may have a pressure rating quoted only at room temperature. Thin corrugations, damaged braid and unsuitable bends can lead to fatigue cracking; poor end welds can leak. Twisting the hose to align its fittings can introduce strain before service begins.

Approve the assembly against the actual connection layout and movement, then keep production drawings and test records tied to that design. Ask the factory to explain changes to tube, braid or fitting construction before accepting them. Check welding and test capability through factory verification.

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.