Nickel tubes and pipe fittings from China
Nickel tubes, pipes and tube or pipe fittings from China, pure or alloyed, pay 0% UK duty on all 3 lines of heading 7507, with no anti-dumping duty. They are bought for caustic, chemical and heat-exchanger service, so grade, certificates and testing matter, and those in pressure systems fall under the Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016.
Pure nickel and nickel alloy tubes, pipes and pipe fittings from China pay 0% UK duty. Grades, pressure equipment rules and material testing explained.
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 7507 covers nickel tubes, pipes and tube or pipe fittings such as couplings, elbows and sleeves: tubes and pipes of unalloyed nickel, of nickel alloys, and fittings. All 3 lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure and no tariff suspension.
Nickel plate and strip are covered in our nickel sheet and strip guide, and stainless steel tubes and fittings are chapter 73, so confirm the commodity code from a material test.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tubes and pipes of unalloyed nickel | 7507 11 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Tubes and pipes of nickel alloys | 7507 12 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Tube or pipe fittings | 7507 20 00 00 | 0% | None |
Grades and pressure rules
Seamless pure nickel pipe and tube is commonly specified to ASTM B161 as Nickel 200 or Nickel 201, and condenser and heat-exchanger tube to ASTM B163, with nickel alloys to their own standards and UNS numbers. Ask for an EN 10204 3.1 certificate, or 3.2 where the design code requires third-party witnessing.
Tubes and fittings supplied as part of pressure equipment, or as pressure accessories, fall under the Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, so the manufacturer of the assembly needs material traceability and the testing the design code sets.
Specifying nickel tubes
Specify grade, standard, outside diameter and wall thickness with tolerances, seamless or welded, annealed condition, length, end finish, hydrostatic or eddy-current testing, marking, and packing with end caps and separators.
Worked duty example
Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 1,000 metres of seamless Nickel 201 tube for caustic service under 7507 11 00 00. At £30,000 free on board and £800 to ship and insure, the customs value is £30,800. With 0% duty on nickel tube, the only charge is import VAT: 20% of £30,800, or £6,160. VAT-registered businesses usually recover that in their next return. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.
Inspection checklist
Material: verify nickel and alloying content with a handheld XRF analyser on each heat, and check the certificate matches the heat numbers marked on the tubes.
Integrity: check hydrostatic or eddy-current test records for every tube, and measure outside diameter, wall thickness and ovality.
Surface and packing: check for scale, scratches and dents, and that tube ends are capped and bundles protected.
What goes wrong
Nickel tube orders fail on grade, testing and traceability. A lower-cost alloy or stainless steel is supplied under a nickel certificate, test records are missing for part of the lot, heat numbers are not marked, and tubes arrive dented.
Test material on arrival and match every tube to its certificate. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources nickel tube and fittings for UK chemical plant and heat-exchanger fabricators, checking the mill and its test records first. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on nickel tube from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, nickel tubes and pipes under 7507 carried 0% from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
Which standard covers seamless nickel pipe?
ASTM B161 covers seamless Nickel 200 and 201 pipe and tube; ASTM B163 covers condenser and heat-exchanger tube.
Do nickel fittings fall under pressure equipment rules?
When supplied as part of pressure equipment or as pressure accessories, yes, under the Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016.
Are stainless steel tubes in the same heading?
No. Stainless steel tubes and fittings are chapter 73.