Sourcing steel beams and sections from China

Hot-rolled or cold-formed decides the steel duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 7216 covers angles, shapes and sections of iron or non-alloy steel. All 24 lines carried an ordinary duty of 0% on goods from China, and none carried an anti-dumping measure.

The 17 lines for sections not further worked than hot-rolled, hot-drawn or extruded, meaning U, I and H sections, L and T sections, bulb flats and other hot-rolled shapes, are under the UK steel measure: 0% while the quota for countries without their own allocation has volume, 50% once it is used up. The tariff as of 2 October 2026 shows a 50% third-country rate with the 0% quota continuing. The 7 lines for cold-formed or cold-finished sections (C, L, U, Z, omega and open sections from flat-rolled products, profiled ribbed sheets) and other further-worked sections are outside the measure.

Sheet piling is heading 7301 (see our sheet piling guide), welded hollow sections are tubes under 7306 (see our welded tube guide), and fabricated steelwork is 7308, so confirm the commodity code.

Construction products marking and standards

Hot-rolled structural sections are construction products under retained Regulation (EU) No 305/2011, so they need a declaration of performance and UKCA or CE marking to the harmonised standard BS EN 10025-1, with grades such as S275 and S355 specified in BS EN 10025-2. Fabricators working to BS EN 1090 will ask for inspection certificates showing traceability to the heat.

Cold-formed purlins and rails are usually specified by the building designer, with section properties and coating (such as galvanising) set out in the manufacturer's technical data.

Specifying sections

Specify section type and size, standard and grade, length and length tolerance, straightness, flange and web tolerances, surface condition (black, shot-blasted, primed or galvanised), marking with heat number, the inspection certificate type, and bundling and loading method.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 150 tonnes of hot-rolled H sections over 180 mm high, commodity code 7216 33 90 00, bought for £105,000 free on board, with £12,000 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £117,000. While the steel quota has volume the duty is 0%, so import VAT is 20% of £117,000, £23,400. Once the quota is used up, the 50% steel duty adds £58,500 and VAT rises to 20% of £175,500, £35,100. Cold-formed C or Z purlins under 7216 61 10 00 would pay 0% either way. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.

Inspection checklist

Mill documents: check the inspection certificate, heat numbers, chemistry and mechanical results against the grade, and the declaration of performance and marking.

Dimensions: measure depth, flange width, web and flange thickness, straightness and length on sampled bars against the tolerance standard.

Surface: look for laps, seams, rolled-in scale and rust, and check the heat number is stamped or painted on every piece.

What goes wrong

Section orders fail on documents, tolerances and duty. The mill cannot supply a declaration of performance or traceable certificates, sections arrive out of straightness or under-thickness, and the steel quota runs out before arrival so 50% applies to hot-rolled lines.

Agree the documents first, check quota balance, and measure before loading. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources steel sections and purlins for UK fabricators and contractors, checking the mill's certification first. See factory verification.