Sourcing steel anchor chains from China

UK duty on steel anchor chains

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 7315 covers chain and parts thereof, of iron or steel. Steel anchor chains fall within the stud-link or other welded-link descriptions according to their construction. The residual other-chain and parts lines apply only where the goods match those descriptions.

All the listed 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. Import VAT is separate from customs duty; see UK import duty and VAT.

Confirm the construction, material and whether the shipment contains complete chain or separate parts before selecting the commodity code. Do not assume that every shackle, swivel or anchor supplied alongside a chain shares its code.

Specify link geometry and windlass fit

Specify stud-link or studless construction, steel grade, bar diameter, link pitch, internal width, supplied length and end-link arrangement. Give the factory the windlass chain-wheel drawing or an approved mating sample. Agree dimensional tolerances, proof-load and breaking-load acceptance criteria, coating and batch identification before production.

For chain intended for consumer use in Great Britain, general product safety rules require safety in normal or reasonably foreseeable use. Agree the intended vessel application and supporting test evidence. Ask the vessel operator or surveyor to confirm the chain specification and any vessel-specific acceptance documents before ordering.

For chain designed for lifting, confirm the applicable machinery supply requirements with the relevant product safety authority and consult our steel lifting chain guide. Keep the intended anchoring application explicit rather than accepting a lifting-chain certificate as proof of windlass compatibility.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 12 tonnes of welded-link steel anchor chain under 7315 82 00 00, invoiced at £21,000 free on board, with £2,400 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £23,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £23,400, so it is £4,680. 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

Geometry: measure bar diameter, pitch and internal width against the approved drawing; check end links and run a sample through the intended chain wheel.

Welds and studs: check weld areas for cracks, incomplete joining and distortion; on stud-link chain, check stud position and security against the agreed construction.

Coating: check coverage around welds and inside links, bare patches, flaking and zinc build-up that prevents adjacent links moving freely.

Records and arrival condition: match material and load-test reports to batch identifiers; check supplied lengths, corrosion and transport damage. Maritime guidance recommends regular equipment inspections for wear, damage, deflection and corrosion, with defects recorded.

What goes wrong

Chain can have the correct bar diameter but the wrong pitch or internal width for the windlass. It may ride up, jam or feed unevenly. Check compatibility on a production sample after coating, because coating build-up can change the fit.

Poor welds and unsuitable heat treatment can cause stretching or fracture under load. A test report for another batch does not establish the delivered chain's performance. Agree traceable material and load-test records, inspect welds and repeat sample tests where needed before accepting the shipment.

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.