Stainless steel bars and rods from China
Stainless steel bars, rods, angles and sections from China pay 0% ordinary UK duty with no anti-dumping, but 17 of 22 lines, including hot-rolled round bar, all cold-finished bright bar and cold-formed sections, carry 50% steel duty once the quota is used up. Non-circular hot-rolled bars, forged bars under 2.5% nickel and hot-rolled or further-worked angles are outside the measure.
Stainless round bar, bright bar, hot-rolled and forged bars and stainless angles from China: 0% UK duty, 50% steel duty outside quota on most lines.
Most lines are under the steel measure
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 7222 covers other bars and rods of stainless steel, and angles, shapes and sections of stainless steel. All 22 lines carried an ordinary duty of 0% on goods from China, and none carried an anti-dumping measure.
Seventeen lines are under the UK steel measure: 0% while the quota for countries without their own allocation has volume, 50% once it is used up, and the tariff as of 2 October 2026 shows a 50% third-country rate with the 0% quota continuing. They cover hot-rolled round bar of any diameter, every cold-formed or cold-finished bar, forged bar with 2.5% or more nickel (such as 304 and 316), other bars, and cold-formed angles and sections. The five lines outside the measure are hot-rolled bars of non-circular cross-section, forged bars with less than 2.5% nickel (such as 410 and 420), hot-rolled angles and sections, and other further-worked angles and sections.
Stainless wire rod in coils is heading 7221 and stainless wire 7223 (see our stainless wire guide); bars of other alloy steel are in our alloy steel bars guide. Confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot-rolled round bar under 80 mm, 2.5% or more nickel | 7222 11 81 00 | 0%; 50% outside steel quota | None |
| Hot-rolled non-circular bar, 2.5% or more nickel | 7222 19 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Cold-finished round bar under 25 mm, 2.5% or more nickel | 7222 20 31 00 | 0%; 50% outside steel quota | None |
| Cold-finished round bar 25 to 80 mm, under 2.5% nickel | 7222 20 29 00 | 0%; 50% outside steel quota | None |
| Forged bar, 2.5% or more nickel | 7222 30 51 00 | 0%; 50% outside steel quota | None |
| Forged bar, under 2.5% nickel | 7222 30 91 00 | 0% | None |
| Hot-rolled angles, shapes and sections | 7222 40 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Cold-formed angles, shapes and sections | 7222 40 50 00 | 0%; 50% outside steel quota | None |
Grades, standards and certificates
Stainless bars for general purposes are specified to BS EN 10088-3 by grade (such as 1.4301 for 304 or 1.4404 for 316L), and many buyers also accept ASTM A276 or A479. The nickel content decides the commodity code line, so the mill certificate matters for customs as well as quality.
Ask for an inspection certificate type 3.1 to BS EN 10204 with heat number, chemistry, mechanical properties and, for 316 grades, molybdenum content.
Specifying stainless bars
Specify grade and standard, shape and size, condition (hot-rolled, peeled, cold-drawn, ground and polished), diameter tolerance (such as h9 or h11), straightness, length, surface finish, heat treatment, intergranular corrosion testing if needed, marking and end protection.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 20 tonnes of cold-finished 304 stainless round bar under 25 mm, commodity code 7222 20 31 00, bought for £56,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £59,000. While the steel quota has volume the duty is 0%, so import VAT is 20% of £59,000, £11,800. Once the quota is used up, the 50% steel duty adds £29,500 and VAT rises to 20% of £88,500, £17,700. A VAT-registered buyer usually recovers the VAT, but the steel duty is a real cost, so check the quota before shipping. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
Inspection checklist
Material: verify the grade on sampled bars with a handheld XRF analyser (positive material identification), and check the 3.1 certificate's heat numbers against the bar marking.
Dimensions: measure diameter at several points against the tolerance class, and check straightness, ovality and length.
Surface: look for seams, laps, scratches and pickling residue, and check bars are bundled and capped so ends and surfaces are not damaged in transit.
What goes wrong
Stainless bar orders fail on grade, certificates and duty. A cheaper grade is mixed in or molybdenum is below the 316 limit, certificates do not match the heat marked on the bars, bright bar arrives scratched or out of tolerance, and the steel quota runs out before arrival so 50% applies.
Test grade on arrival as well as at loading, check the quota, and inspect the finish. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources stainless bars for UK stockholders, machine shops and fabricators, checking the mill's certification and testing first. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on stainless steel bar from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, cold-finished stainless round bar (such as 7222 20 31 00) is 0% within the steel quota and 50% once it is used up.
Which stainless bars are outside the steel measure?
Hot-rolled non-circular bars, forged bars under 2.5% nickel, and hot-rolled or further-worked angles and sections.
Which standard covers stainless bars?
BS EN 10088-3 for general purposes, with grades such as 1.4301 (304) and 1.4404 (316L).
Is there anti-dumping duty on Chinese stainless bars?
No. None of the 22 lines of heading 7222 carried an anti-dumping measure.