Sourcing Nichrome Resistance Wire from China

Duty on nichrome resistance wire

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 7505 covers nickel bars, rods, profiles and wire. Nichrome resistance wire falls within nickel alloy wire, 7505 22 00 00, carrying 2% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff data records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for this line.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls to the wire line. Waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. For waste from China imported into England under notification controls, the exporter must apply to the dispatch country's competent authority for consent. Confirm the applicable route with your customs broker before buying scrap or discarded wire.

Confirm the commodity code using the composition and supplied form. This table contains only the nickel alloy wire line relevant to nichrome; see the nickel bars, wire and mesh guide for the wider heading. The worked order is illustrative; see import duty and VAT for the calculation method.

Specify the alloy and resistance per metre

Write the alloy designation and agreed chemical composition into the purchase specification. State wire diameter and tolerance, annealed or cold-drawn condition, surface finish, resistance per metre and its test temperature. Agree coil weight or length, spool dimensions and whether joints are acceptable.

Ask for a mill certificate identifying the actual heat and reporting composition and properties. Agree how the supplier will measure resistance, and trial a sample in your intended winding and heating process before approving production. If the intended finished article has prolonged skin contact, confirm with HSE whether UK REACH nickel-release restrictions apply.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative shipment of 2 tonnes of nichrome resistance wire under 7505 22 00 00, invoiced at £46,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £46,900. Duty at 2% is £938. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £47,838, so it is £9,567.60. Import taxes total £10,505.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £938 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: compare sampled alloy composition with the purchase specification and match each heat to its mill certificate.

Diameter: measure wire at different positions along sampled coils and compare the results with the agreed tolerance.

Resistance: test a measured length at the agreed temperature, record resistance per metre and compare it with the approved sample.

Coils and labels: check for kinks, tangled winding, surface damage and unagreed joints; match alloy and heat labels to the documents. Use the inspection guide to prepare the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A supplier uses a familiar alloy name but supplies a different composition, or sends a generic certificate without matching heat numbers. Wire can meet the nominal diameter while failing the agreed resistance tolerance. Kinks and poor winding can interrupt feeding during element manufacture.

Agree composition, diameter and resistance acceptance criteria together. Keep the approved sample and compare shipment results against it. Quarantine coils with mismatched labels or failed measurements until the supplier provides traceable evidence and an agreed resolution.

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.