Sourcing lay-flat and fire hose from China
Textile hosepiping and tubing from China, such as lay-flat discharge hose, irrigation hose and fire hose with a textile jacket, pays 6% UK duty on both lines of heading 5909, with no anti-dumping duty. Buyers check working and burst pressure, the lining and jacket, couplings, the standard claimed for fire hose, and lengths.
6% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 12 October 2026, heading 5909 covers textile hosepiping and similar textile tubing, with or without lining, armour or accessories of other materials. Both lines, synthetic fibres and other textile materials, carried 6% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Rubber and hydraulic hose is covered in our rubber and hydraulic hoses guide, and metal hose in our flexible metal hoses guide; a hose that is mainly rubber or plastic may be classified with those. Confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Textile hosepiping and tubing of synthetic fibres | 5909 00 10 00 | 6% | None |
| Textile hosepiping and tubing of other textile materials | 5909 00 90 00 | 6% | None |
Specifying hose
Specify diameter, length, jacket yarn and weave, lining material (PVC, polyurethane, rubber or nitrile), working and burst pressure, temperature and chemical resistance, couplings and how they are fitted, and colour and marking. For fire hose, ask which standard the hose is made and tested to and for the test reports; fire and rescue services and building owners will expect them.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 500 lengths of 45 mm lay-flat discharge hose under 5909 00 10 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £700 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,700. Duty at 6% is £582. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £10,282, so it is £2,056.40. Import taxes total £2,638.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £582 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Pressure: test samples to working pressure and witness a burst test for new suppliers.
Construction: check lining adhesion, jacket weave and coupling fitting.
Length and marking: measure lengths and check printed marking. See our quality inspection guide.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
Hose orders fail on pressure, lining and couplings. Hose bursts below the rated pressure, the lining delaminates, couplings pull off, and fire hose arrives without test evidence for the standard claimed.
Cambridge China Bridge sources hose and fluid-handling products for UK distributors with pressure testing agreed before shipment. See testing and certification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on lay-flat hose from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 12 October 2026, textile hosepiping under heading 5909 carried 6% from China.
Is rubber hose in heading 5909?
No. Hose made mainly of rubber or plastic is classified with those materials.
What evidence should fire hose have?
Test reports to the standard the hose is made to, since fire services and building owners will expect them.
How do I check burst pressure?
Witness a burst test on samples, and test every batch to working pressure.