Sourcing steel carbon dioxide bottles from China

UK duty on steel carbon dioxide cylinders

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 7311 covers iron or steel containers for compressed or liquefied gas. Steel carbon dioxide cylinders fall within this family, with classification depending on construction, pressure and capacity. The supplied lines all carry 2% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping, countervailing or steel measure recorded.

The listed 0% suspension is restricted to empty portable medical oxygen cylinders fitted with a valve and pressure and flow regulator; it does not cover carbon dioxide cylinders. The UK Trade Tariff also attaches an import control for fluorinated greenhouse gases. The importer should confirm the applicable requirement and declaration documents with their customs broker, specifying whether the cylinders are empty or filled with carbon dioxide.

Confirm the commodity code using the cylinder drawings and pressure and capacity records. Confirm with HMRC or your customs broker whether heading 7311 is within the UK carbon border adjustment mechanism and when it applies; check the UK carbon border guide when planning imports. For the wider cylinder family, see steel nitrogen cylinders.

Specify the carbon dioxide service and valve

State whether the cylinder is for beverage dispensing, industrial gas supply or another application, and whether delivery is empty or filled. Specify water capacity, working and test pressure, steel grade, heat treatment, neck thread, valve outlet, internal finish and protective cap. Agree whether the application needs gas withdrawal or liquid withdrawal with a dip tube, and have the intended filling operator review the design.

For cylinders used to carry gas by road, confirm the applicable transportable pressure equipment conformity assessment and inspection requirements with the relevant authority. New cylinders supplied directly into Great Britain need Rho marking. Ask which inspection body handles assessment and obtain certificates covering the exact cylinder and valve arrangement. Agree the design standard and shoulder stamping before production.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 50 empty refillable seamless steel carbon dioxide cylinders, at least 165 bar, under 20 litres each; illustrative order under 7311 00 11 80, invoiced at £8,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £10,000. Duty at 2% is £200. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £10,200, so it is £2,040. Import taxes total £2,240; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £200 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Documents: match design certificates and batch test records to the ordered cylinder model, serial numbers and valve arrangement.

Stamping and weight: check readable serial numbers, water capacity, tare weight and test pressure against the approved records, and verify the Rho marking.

Threads and withdrawal: gauge neck threads, check valve outlets against the buyer’s equipment, and confirm the agreed dip-tube arrangement.

Interior and packing: inspect sampled interiors for moisture, scale and loose debris; check paint, valve protection and crate restraint before loading. Use the quality inspection guide to define the checks.

What goes wrong

A cylinder can match the requested size yet have the wrong valve outlet or withdrawal arrangement. Other rejection points include unreadable tare markings, neck threads that do not match the valve, moisture or scale inside the shell, and certificates that cover a different design.

Obtain the filling operator’s acceptance of the proposed documents and fittings before production. Make the cylinder drawing, valve specification, dip-tube arrangement and inspection records part of the order, then compare the delivered batch with those agreed details.

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.