Sourcing perforated stainless strip from China

0% duty on perforated stainless strip

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 7220 covers flat-rolled stainless steel less than 600 mm wide. Perforated strip shipped directly from China falls under 7220 90 20 90. Separate perforated lines identify consignments from Taiwan or Vietnam and Türkiye. The table includes an unperforated cold-rolled feedstock comparison; that line describes material before punching.

The listed perforated lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied snapshot lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, steel measure, suspension or attached import control on these lines. Confirm the finished dimensions, processing and consignment route with your broker using our commodity-code guide. See the wider stainless steel strip guide for unperforated material.

Russian sanctions include an import prohibition for relevant processed iron and steel products. Have your broker check mill origin and processing history; supply-chain evidence may be requested at the border. The carbon border adjustment mechanism starts on 1 January 2027; ask your customs broker or HMRC to confirm whether heading 7220 goods are covered. Ask suppliers for emissions data and review the registration rules in our UK CBAM guide.

Specify the hole pattern and punched edges

State the stainless grade, thickness, strip width and whether you need coils or cut lengths. Provide a drawing showing hole shape, hole size, pitch, stagger, open area and unpunched margins. Define the distance from the hole pattern to each edge, permitted burrs, burr direction and flatness after punching. Agree a sample made with the proposed material and tooling.

Specify surface finish, cleaning, protective film and how the strip will be formed or fitted. For food-contact applications, confirm the applicable migration and food-safety requirements with the relevant authority. Choose the grade for the intended food and cleaning conditions, and ask the finished-goods maker for migration testing.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 tonnes of perforated stainless steel strip, illustrative order only under 7220 90 20 90, invoiced at £48,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £49,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £49,800, so it is £9,960. 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

Material: match coil or bundle identification to the heat-linked material certificate. Check the chemistry against the ordered grade, using an independent elemental analysis where needed.

Hole pattern: measure hole size, pitch, stagger and edge margins against the approved drawing. Look for missed punches, distorted slots, blocked holes and cracks between holes.

Edges and shape: inspect both faces for punching burrs and loose fragments. Measure thickness, width, camber and flatness, then trial the strip in the intended forming or feeding process.

Arrival condition: inspect packaging for moisture and movement, and check for scratches, dents and damaged coil edges. Record defects before unpacking further and keep affected material identified. Plan checks with our inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A matching hole diameter can hide the wrong pitch or stagger, changing open area and leaving too little metal between holes. Punching can also introduce curl, sharp burrs or cracks that appear during forming. Agree acceptance criteria for the punched strip rather than relying only on the original coil certificate.

Grade substitution, mixed heats and poor traceability make corrosion complaints difficult to resolve. A certificate for the starting coil does not show that the final hole pattern, edges and flatness meet your drawing. Keep approved samples, inspection records and mill-origin documents linked to the delivered batch.

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.