Sourcing rubber hoses and hydraulic hoses from China
Tubes, pipes and hoses of vulcanised rubber from China, plain or reinforced with metal wire, textile or other materials, with or without fittings, including hydraulic hose assemblies and air, water and fuel hoses, pay 2% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. Hoses for drinking water must meet the water fittings rules. Cambridge China Bridge sources rubber hoses.
Rubber hoses, hydraulic hose assemblies, air, water, fuel and industrial hoses pay 2% UK duty from China. Pressure ratings, water rules and a worked example.
A flat 2%
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, rubber tubes, pipes and hoses of heading 4009, not reinforced, reinforced with metal, with textile or with other materials, with or without fittings, carried 2% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Hoses for civil aircraft and a few named hoses have their own lines.
Plastic hoses such as PVC garden hoses are in heading 3917, and conveyor belts in 4010; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not reinforced, without fittings | 4009 11 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Not reinforced, with fittings, other | 4009 12 00 90 | 2% | None |
| Metal reinforced, without fittings | 4009 21 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Metal reinforced, with fittings, other | 4009 22 00 90 | 2% | None |
| Textile reinforced, without fittings, other | 4009 31 00 90 | 2% | None |
| Textile reinforced, with fittings, other | 4009 32 00 90 | 2% | None |
| Otherwise reinforced, with fittings, other | 4009 42 00 90 | 2% | None |
Standards and end use
Wire-reinforced hydraulic hoses are usually specified to the EN 853 and EN 856 series or their ISO equivalents, which set working pressure, burst pressure and impulse life for each size. Hose assemblies fitted to machinery become part of it, so the machine maker needs the rating and test evidence. Ask for the standard, the working and burst pressure per size and an impulse test report.
Hoses carrying drinking water must meet regulation 4 of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, and hoses for food, fuel or gas need evidence for that medium, such as food contact declarations or the relevant gas hose standard.
Worked duty example
Take a hypothetical order of 20,000 wire-braided hydraulic hose assemblies, entered under 4009 22 00 90: £60,000 free on board plus £3,000 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £63,000. The 2% duty on hydraulic hose assemblies comes to £1,260, and import VAT is 20% of £64,260, which is £12,852. If you are VAT-registered you normally reclaim the £12,852, leaving £1,260 as the real cost at the border. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.
What goes wrong
Rubber hoses fail at the crimp, in the cover and at pressure. Fittings crimped to the wrong diameter blow off or leak, hose built with fewer or thinner wire braids than the standard bursts or fails early in impulse, and covers crack from ozone or poor compounding. Hoses that smell strongly or bloom may contain restricted substances, and lay lines that are missing or wrong make the hose untraceable.
Measure crimp diameters on samples against the fitting maker's chart, run proof and burst tests on assemblies from the lot, ask for an impulse test for hydraulic hose, check the lay line and batch marking, and check covers for cracks and bubbles. Cap hose ends and coil hoses to their minimum bend radius in packing.
Cambridge China Bridge sources hydraulic hose assemblies and industrial rubber hoses, with standards, pressure tests and traceability agreed before the order. See how we source hydraulic and industrial parts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on rubber hoses from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, rubber hoses of heading 4009 carried 2% duty from China, with or without fittings.
Which standards cover hydraulic hoses?
The EN 853 and EN 856 series and their ISO equivalents, setting working pressure, burst pressure and impulse life.
Where do PVC hoses go?
Plastic hoses such as PVC garden hoses are in heading 3917, not 4009.
What rule covers hoses for drinking water?
Regulation 4 of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999.