Sourcing stainless-steel gasket strip from China
Stainless-steel gasket strip from China carries 0% UK duty across the listed lines, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty in the supplied tariff snapshot. Classify flat strip under 600 mm wide by processing, thickness and nickel content, and check its steel input history. Cambridge China Bridge sources stainless-steel gasket strip.
Duty on flat strip for gasket manufacture
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 7220 covers flat-rolled stainless steel less than 600 mm wide. This guide concerns strip supplied for gasket manufacture. For the wider product family, see stainless-steel strip. Cold-rolled lines distinguish thickness and nickel content; the table selects the thinner bands relevant to gasket strip.
The selected lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied snapshot records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, steel measure, suspension or attached import control. Separately, check whether Russian-origin steel inputs trigger the UK third-country processing ban. Retain verifiable supply-chain documents rather than relying solely on the Chinese supplier's address.
Confirm the commodity code using the mill chemistry, actual thickness and processing condition. Ask your broker to review shaped, wound or composite gasket products separately. Confirm with your customs broker whether these strip lines fall within the UK carbon border adjustment mechanism and when any obligations apply, using the site's UK carbon border adjustment guide as a starting point. Ask the mill for emissions data before repeat orders.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold-rolled strip, thickness ≤0.35 mm, nickel ≥2.5% | 7220 20 81 90 | 0% | None |
| Cold-rolled strip, thickness ≤0.35 mm, nickel <2.5% | 7220 20 89 90 | 0% | None |
| Cold-rolled strip, thickness >0.35 mm and <3 mm, nickel ≥2.5% | 7220 20 41 90 | 0% | None |
| Cold-rolled strip, thickness >0.35 mm and <3 mm, nickel <2.5% | 7220 20 49 90 | 0% | None |
Specify strip for winding, forming or stamping
State the gasket construction and service medium, then agree the stainless grade, thickness, slit width and tolerances with the gasket maker. Specify annealed or hardened condition, hardness, surface finish, edge condition and cleanliness. For winding strip, agree a forming trial; for stamped gasket layers, agree a trial using the intended tooling.
Record coil inner diameter, winding direction, acceptable coil mass, splice policy and packing. Ask for a mill inspection certificate linking chemistry and mechanical properties to each heat and coil. Keep an approved sample and the drawing revision with the order; a strip sample alone does not establish the finished gasket's sealing performance.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of cold-rolled stainless-steel gasket strip in slit coils under 7220 20 41 90, invoiced at £48,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £49,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £49,800, so it is £9,960. 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
Identity: match coil labels and heat numbers to the mill certificate, purchase specification and supply-chain documents; sample-check alloy chemistry.
Dimensions: measure thickness across the width and along sampled lengths, then check slit width, camber and edge burrs against the agreed tolerances.
Formability: check hardness and trial the intended winding or stamping operation; look for edge cracks, inconsistent springback and feeding problems.
Surface and packing: inspect for scratches, dents, contamination and moisture; check protected edges, secure coils and readable labels. Use the quality inspection guide to agree the inspection brief.
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What goes wrong
A supplier substitutes a similar-looking grade, changes temper or delivers uneven gauge. The strip then cracks during forming or behaves differently in the gasket maker's tooling. Slitting burrs and camber interfere with feeding, while dents and surface contamination make material unsuitable for the agreed process.
A trading company's certificate may lose the link to the original mill or mix several heats under a generic description. Require coil-level traceability and investigate mismatches before using the material. Keep trial results tied to the inspected batch, so approval of an earlier sample does not conceal a changed production condition.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on stainless-steel gasket strip from China?
The selected heading 7220 lines carry 0% duty in the supplied snapshot, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty. Recheck the exact line before shipment; import VAT is separate.
Which commodity code applies to thin gasket strip?
Cold-rolled strip is split by thickness and nickel content. Match the mill chemistry and processing condition to the tariff description rather than choosing a code from the gasket application alone.
What should I specify for spiral-wound gasket strip?
Agree grade, thickness, slit width, temper, hardness, edge burrs, winding direction and coil dimensions with the gasket maker. Trial the strip in the intended forming process before approving production.
Does processing Russian steel in China remove the UK import ban?
Processing in China does not automatically remove the ban on relevant Russian-origin steel products. Ask your broker to review the input history and retain verifiable supply-chain evidence before ordering.