Rebar and hot-rolled steel bars from China
Hot-rolled and forged steel bars from China, including rebar, pay 0% ordinary UK duty, but 18 of 20 lines carry 50% steel duty once the quota is used up; only forged bars are outside it. High fatigue performance rebar also pays 22.5% anti-dumping duty (18.4% for two named exporters). UK projects specify BS 4449 rebar, usually with CARES certification.
Rebar, ribbed and plain hot-rolled bars and forged bars from China: 0% UK duty, 50% steel duty outside quota, 22.5% anti-dumping on high fatigue rebar.
Steel measure on hot-rolled bars, anti-dumping on high fatigue rebar
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 7214 covers other bars and rods of iron or non-alloy steel, not further worked than forged, hot-rolled, hot-drawn or hot-extruded, including those twisted after rolling. All 20 lines carried an ordinary duty of 0% on goods from China.
Eighteen lines, every hot-rolled bar including ribbed rebar, free-cutting steel bars, rectangular bars and round bars of any carbon content, are under the UK steel measure: 0% while the quota for countries without their own allocation has volume and 50% once it is used up. The tariff as of 2 October 2026 shows a 50% third-country rate with the 0% quota continuing. Only the two forged lines are outside the measure.
High fatigue performance concrete reinforcing bars (7214 20 00 10) also carry anti-dumping duty on Chinese goods in force since 17 October 2023: 18.4% for Jiangyin Xicheng Steel and Jiangyin Ruihe Metal Products when the conditions for their rate are met, and 22.5% for all other exporters. Bars in coils are wire rod under 7213, and cold-finished bright bars 7215 (see our bright steel bars guide); confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forged reinforcing bars | 7214 10 00 10 | 0% | None |
| High fatigue performance rebar | 7214 20 00 10 | 0%; 50% outside steel quota | 22.5% residual; 18.4% two named exporters |
| Other ribbed reinforcing bars | 7214 20 00 20 | 0%; 50% outside steel quota | None |
| Free-cutting steel bars, hot-rolled | 7214 30 00 90 | 0%; 50% outside steel quota | None |
| Round bars under 0.25% carbon, under 80 mm | 7214 99 39 00 | 0%; 50% outside steel quota | None |
| Round bars 0.25% or more carbon, 80 mm or more | 7214 99 71 00 | 0%; 50% outside steel quota | None |
BS 4449, CARES and scheduling
Reinforcing steel for UK concrete is specified to BS 4449, usually grade B500B or B500C, and cut and bent to BS 8666 schedules. There is no designated standard for UKCA marking of rebar, so UK contractors and specifiers instead ask for third-party certification, usually CARES, covering the mill's production and testing.
Plain round and flat bars for general engineering are bought to BS EN 10025-2 grades such as S275 and S355 with an inspection certificate to BS EN 10204.
Specifying rebar and bars
Specify standard and grade, diameter and length, rib pattern and mill marking, yield and tensile strength, elongation and ductility class, bend and rebend performance, weldability (carbon equivalent), bundle weight and tagging, and the certificate type.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 500 tonnes of ribbed B500B reinforcing bar, commodity code 7214 20 00 20, bought for £260,000 free on board, with £30,000 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £290,000. While the steel quota has volume the duty is 0%, so import VAT is 20% of £290,000, £58,000. Once the quota is used up, the 50% steel duty adds £145,000 and VAT rises to 20% of £435,000, £87,000. If the bars were high fatigue performance rebar (7214 20 00 10), 22.5% residual anti-dumping duty, £65,250, would be added as well. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
Inspection checklist
Documents: check the certificate of the mill's third-party approval, heat numbers, chemistry, carbon equivalent and tensile results against BS 4449 or the ordered grade.
Testing: witness or commission tensile, bend and rebend tests on samples from each heat, and check rib geometry and the rolled-in mill identification marks.
Bundles: check bundle tags, lengths, diameters and weights against the packing list, and look for rust scale and damaged ribs.
What goes wrong
Rebar orders fail on approval, testing and duty. The mill has no third-party approval that UK contractors accept, ductility or rebend results fail, bars are declared under a line that does not match their use, and the steel quota runs out before arrival so 50% applies, plus anti-dumping on high fatigue rebar.
Settle approval first, test each heat, and check the quota. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources rebar and hot-rolled bars for UK contractors and stockholders, checking the mill's approvals and testing first. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on rebar from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, ribbed rebar (7214 20 00 20) is 0% within the steel quota and 50% once it is used up.
Is there anti-dumping duty on Chinese rebar?
Yes, on high fatigue performance rebar (7214 20 00 10): 22.5% residual, 18.4% for two named Jiangyin exporters.
Which standard covers UK rebar?
BS 4449, usually grade B500B or B500C, with CARES certification commonly required.
Are forged bars under the steel measure?
No. The two forged lines of 7214 carried 0% with no steel measure.