Sourcing prestressing wire from China

Duty depends on the wire and its coating

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 21 October 2026, heading 7217 covers wire of iron or non-alloy steel. This guide concerns individual wires for prestressed concrete. Stranded wire belongs to a different heading. The steel wire guide covers the wider product family.

The selected uncoated high-carbon lines list 50% third-country duty for China; the selected zinc-coated lines list 0%. The supplied tariff extract records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control on these selected lines. The wider published guide describes quota relief for uncoated wire; confirm availability with your broker rather than assuming it in the order budget.

Confirm carbon content, coating and maximum cross-sectional dimension against the commodity code guidance. The table identifies possible classifications, not approval of a wire for prestressing. If another coating changes the classification, check that line's measures separately.

Specify strength, relaxation and anchorage compatibility

Have the project engineer define the wire grade, diameter tolerance, tensile strength, elongation, relaxation performance and intended stressing method. State whether the surface is plain or indented, and agree indentation geometry where relevant. Confirm compatibility with the proposed anchors and concrete production process before accepting a sample.

Ask for chemical composition and mechanical test reports linked to the production heat and coil. Relaxation evidence should identify the test conditions and acceptance criteria agreed for the project. Specify coil dimensions, winding direction, permitted joints, corrosion protection and packaging so the wire can feed through the buyer's equipment.

Government guidance says products not covered or not fully covered by a designated standard may be covered by a technical assessment document. Ask a competent adviser to establish the applicable product route before accepting a supplier's marking claim. Arrange testing and certification checks around the exact wire and intended use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 50 tonnes of uncoated prestressing wire under 7217 10 90 10, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £43,000. Duty at 50% is £21,500. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £64,500, so it is £12,900. Import taxes total £34,400; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £21,500 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match coil labels, heat references and test reports to the purchase specification and delivery documents.

Geometry: measure diameter and ovality along sample wire; compare surface and indentation geometry with the approved specification.

Performance: obtain independent tensile, elongation and relaxation checks against the agreed acceptance criteria, retaining traceable samples.

Arrival condition: inspect for rust, pitting, kinks, damaged wrapping and crossed winding; check coil dimensions and weight before feeding the line.

What goes wrong

A tensile report alone does not demonstrate the agreed relaxation performance. Reports for a different heat, surface condition or production route can leave the delivered coils unverified. Diameter variation, inconsistent indentations and unsuitable anchors can also cause problems during stressing.

Wet packing can leave pitting concealed inside a coil, while poor winding causes snagging during pay-off. Separate suspect coils and retain their labels and samples for investigation. Treat a proposed coating change as a specification and classification review, rather than a simple way to reduce duty.

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.