Sourcing spiral wound gaskets from China

UK duty on spiral wound gaskets

Heading 8484 covers gaskets combining metal sheeting with other materials, layered metal joints, assorted gasket sets and mechanical seals. This guide covers spiral wound gaskets only. The table shows product variants sharing the same tariff line, rather than separate commodity codes. See the wider gaskets and mechanical seals guide.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 6 November 2026, code 8484 10 00 90 carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied facts record no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for this line. Confirm applicable asbestos restrictions with HSE: placing on the market includes import.

Confirm the commodity code using the actual construction and materials. Describe the metal winding and filler on the specification and invoice, and distinguish individual spiral wound gaskets from mixed gasket sets.

Specify the winding, filler and flange fit

Give the factory the flange drawing, nominal size, pressure designation, facing and agreed dimensional standard. Specify the winding metal, graphite or PTFE filler, inner ring and outer locating ring materials, and whether each ring is included. State the process fluid, operating temperature and pressure so material suitability can be checked.

Agree dimensions, thickness, tolerances, colour coding and batch identification on the approved drawing. Ask for material certificates linked to the production batch and an asbestos-free declaration. Where filler composition is uncertain, agree laboratory testing before shipment. Use testing and certification support to define the evidence needed.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20,000 spiral wound flange gaskets for a maintenance supplier under 8484 10 00 90, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £31,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £31,500, so it is £6,300. 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

Dimensions: measure the sealing element, bore, outside diameter and ring thickness against the approved drawing; fit-check against the intended flange.

Materials: match winding, filler and ring certificates to the batch; check the agreed graphite or PTFE grade and asbestos test evidence where requested.

Construction: inspect winding uniformity, spot welds, ring seating and filler condition; reject loose windings, damaged edges or missing specified rings.

Identification and packing: match markings and colour coding to the order, keep sizes separated and check for distortion or corrosion on arrival. Agree sampling through quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A gasket can look correct while carrying the wrong filler, winding alloy or ring material. Weak spot welds allow the winding to loosen, damaged filler leaves an uneven sealing surface, and incorrect dimensions prevent the gasket seating properly. Colour coding alone does not establish material identity.

Missing specified inner rings and substituted graphite grades can escape a visual check. Set acceptance criteria against the drawing and material evidence before ordering, and keep suspect batches separate until the discrepancy is resolved. An asbestos-free declaration should not replace agreed testing where the filler composition is uncertain.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For machinery and equipment, see machinery imports.