Sourcing seamless steel tubes from China
Seamless tubes and pipes of iron or steel from China, including line pipe, casing and tubing, precision and mechanical tubes, and stainless and alloy tubes, pay 0% UK duty with no anti-dumping duty. Heading 7304 is outside the 50% out-of-quota steel measure that started on 1 July 2026, unlike most welded tubes. Cambridge China Bridge sources seamless tubes.
Seamless steel tubes and line pipe from China pay 0% UK duty, sit outside the 2026 steel quota measure and carry no anti-dumping duty. With a worked example.
0% duty and no steel quota
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, every line of heading 7304 carried 0% third-country duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure: line pipe, casing, tubing and drill pipe, cold-drawn and hot-finished tubes of non-alloy, stainless and other alloy steel, and non-circular seamless sections. Unlike welded tubes of heading 7306 and most flat steel, none of these lines carried the 50% out-of-quota duty of the UK steel trade measure that replaced the steel safeguard on 1 July 2026.
Several non-alloy lines are split by a carbon equivalent value of not more than 0.86 under the International Institute of Welding formula, so the mill certificate must show the chemistry that lets you calculate it. Welded tubes are covered in the welded steel tube guide; confirm the commodity code by process, steel type, finish and diameter.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line pipe, up to 168.3 mm, CEV up to 0.86 | 7304 19 10 20 | 0% | None |
| Casing and tubing, 168.3 to 406.4 mm, other | 7304 29 30 80 | 0% | None |
| Cold-drawn precision tubes, non-alloy, CEV up to 0.86 | 7304 31 20 30 | 0% | None |
| Hot-finished non-alloy tubes, 168.3 to 406.4 mm, other | 7304 39 83 80 | 0% | None |
| Cold-drawn stainless tubes, other | 7304 41 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Alloy steel tubes over 406.4 mm | 7304 59 89 00 | 0% | None |
Standards and certificates
Seamless tubes are bought to a named standard and grade: BS EN 10216 for pressure purposes, BS EN 10297 for mechanical and general engineering, BS EN 10210 for hot-finished structural hollow sections, and API 5L and API 5CT for line pipe and oil country tubular goods. Structural hollow sections made to BS EN 10210 are construction products under a harmonised standard, so they need a declaration of performance and UKCA or CE marking.
Tube used in pressure equipment falls under the Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 through the equipment it goes into, so the equipment maker will ask for an inspection certificate type 3.1 or 3.2 to BS EN 10204 with heat numbers traceable to the tube. Agree the certificate type, the tests and who witnesses them before production.
Worked duty example
Take a hypothetical order of 60 tonnes of seamless carbon steel tube, 219 mm outside diameter, entered under 7304 39 83 80: £48,000 free on board plus £6,000 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £54,000. Seamless tubes carry no duty, so import VAT of 20% on £54,000, £10,800, is the only tax. A VAT-registered importer normally reclaims it, so the border adds no lasting cost. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.
What goes wrong
Seamless tube fails on dimensions, chemistry and paperwork. Wall thickness varies around the circumference and eccentric tube passes an average check but fails the minimum wall, ovality and straightness exceed the standard, and laps, seams and scabs on the inside surface are missed without inspection. Welded tube is occasionally supplied as seamless, certificates are copied between heats, and chemistry that gives a carbon equivalent above 0.86 changes both the weldability and the code.
Measure wall thickness at several points round each sampled tube with an ultrasonic gauge, check outside diameter, ovality, length and straightness, look inside with a light or borescope, check that the heat numbers stamped or stencilled on the tubes match the mill certificate, confirm the eddy current or ultrasonic testing required by the standard, and use a third-party inspector for 3.2 certificates.
Cambridge China Bridge sources seamless line pipe, pressure, mechanical and stainless tubes, with standards, certificates and inspection agreed before production. See how we source steel products.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on seamless steel pipe from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, seamless tubes and pipes of heading 7304 carried 0% duty from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
Does the 50% steel measure apply to seamless tube?
No. Heading 7304 was not among the lines carrying the 50% out-of-quota duty from 1 July 2026.
Why does carbon equivalent value matter?
Several non-alloy seamless tube codes are split at a CEV of 0.86 under the International Institute of Welding formula.
What certificate should I ask for?
An inspection certificate type 3.1 or 3.2 to BS EN 10204, with heat numbers traceable to the tubes.