Sourcing laboratory silicone tubing from China

UK duty and the tubing construction

Heading 3917 covers plastic tubes, pipes, hoses and their fittings. For laboratory silicone tubing, the rows distinguish unreinforced tubing supplied without fittings, tubing with fittings, other constructions and separate plastic fittings. Treat these as candidate lines and confirm the actual material, reinforcement and supplied assembly.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the selected lines carried 6% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control. Elsewhere in the heading, hardened-protein sausage casings carry veterinary control and specified automotive connectors have a suspension; neither is a laboratory tubing line.

Give your customs broker the composition, drawing, reinforcement details and fitting arrangement to confirm the commodity code. For the wider heading, see polyurethane pneumatic tubing.

Specify the fluid path and pump duty

Fix the inner and outer diameter, wall tolerance, hardness, cure method, colour, coil length and packing. State the liquids, cleaning agents, operating temperature, pressure or vacuum and sterilisation process. For peristaltic use, identify the pump head and agree a trial using the intended fluid and operating conditions.

Ask for batch-linked composition information and evidence supporting compatibility, extractables and any cleanliness or sterility claim. Inclusion of a substance on the UK REACH Candidate List brings supplier obligations. Agree a substance review before supply rather than accepting a generic material certificate.

Keep the intended use explicit. If the tubing is a medical device, all medical devices on the Great Britain market must be registered with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Have the proposed clinical use assessed before ordering.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative trial shipment of laboratory silicone tubing coils without fittings under 3917 32 00 90, invoiced at £1,500 free on board, with £90 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £1,590. Duty at 6% is £95.40. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £1,685.40, so it is £337.08. Import taxes total £432.48; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £95.40 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Dimensions: measure bore, outer diameter and wall against the agreed drawing; check ovality, kinks and connector fit.

Material: match batch references and cure information to the approved sample and supporting test reports.

Performance: trial the tubing in the intended pump; check leakage, collapse, recovery and visible wear under agreed conditions.

Cleanliness: inspect the bore for particles and residue, check sealed packing and reconcile coil labels with the packing list. See quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A sample can fit the pump while the production batch has a different wall or hardness. That can change delivery, encourage slipping or shorten useful service. Keep a retained sample and repeat the agreed pump trial when the material or manufacturing process changes.

Tubing described only as laboratory grade leaves compatibility and cleanliness undefined. Residue, particles, damaged packing or an unsupported sterility claim can make a shipment unsuitable for its intended work. Put acceptance checks and the response to failed batches in the order.

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.