Sourcing stainless steel wire rod from China

The steel quota and the 50% rate

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 7221 covers bars and rods, hot-rolled, in irregularly wound coils, of stainless steel. Both leaves, containing 2.5% or more nickel (7221 00 10 00) and less than 2.5% nickel (7221 00 90 00), carry the UK steel trade measure: a 0% tariff quota alongside a 50% rate. Read again as at 2 October 2026, the tariff shows 50% as the outright third-country rate with the 0% quota still available, and no anti-dumping measure.

Drawn stainless wire is heading 7223 (see our stainless steel wire guide), and semi-finished stainless billets are covered in our stainless slabs and billets guide; confirm the commodity code. For other alloy grades in wire rod form, see our alloy steel wire rod guide. For bar products, see our stainless steel bars and rods guide.

All the lines in the table above are in the iron and steel sector of the UK carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), which applies to imports from 1 January 2027. An importer who expects £50,000 or more of CBAM goods within 30 days, or has imported that much in the previous 12 months, must register, keep records for 6 years, and should ask suppliers for emissions data now. See our UK CBAM guide.

Grades and certificates

Wire rod is bought to a named grade and chemistry, so ask for an inspection certificate with heat numbers, chemical analysis including nickel, chromium and molybdenum, and mechanical properties. The nickel split decides the commodity code, so the certificate must support the declaration.

Specifying wire rod

Specify grade, diameter and tolerance, ovality, surface condition (black, pickled or annealed and pickled), coil weight and inner and outer diameter, decarburisation limits for spring and cold-heading grades, and coil strapping and labels.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 100 tonnes of 304 stainless wire rod under 7221 00 10 00, bought for £150,000 free on board with £6,000 of freight and insurance, so customs value is £156,000. If the 0% tariff quota is available, no duty is due and import VAT is 20% of £156,000, which is £31,200. Once the quota is used up, the 50% rate from 1 October 2026 adds £78,000 of duty, and VAT becomes 20% of £234,000, which is £46,800. A VAT-registered importer normally reclaims the VAT, so the quota decides whether the border adds £0 or £78,000. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

Inspection checklist

Chemistry: check the certificate for each heat, and verify nickel and molybdenum on a sample.

Dimensions: check diameter and ovality at several points in the coil.

Surface: check for seams, laps, scale and rust, and that coils are tight and labelled with heat numbers.

What goes wrong

Wire rod orders fail on grade, surface and quota. A lower-nickel grade is shipped against a 304 order, surface defects break during drawing, coils tangle, and goods arrive after the quarter's quota is used up and pay 50%.

Test samples before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources stainless wire rod for UK wire drawers, fastener and spring makers, checking the mill and quota timing first. See container programmes.