Sourcing steel LPG cylinders from China

UK duty on steel LPG cylinders

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 7311 covers iron or steel containers for compressed or liquefied gas. Welded steel LPG cylinders below 1 000 litres fall within 7311 00 91 00. The table shows product variants sharing this commodity line. For other constructions and larger containers, see gas cylinders.

The supplied lines carry 2% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping, countervailing or steel measure recorded. The listed 0% suspension is restricted to specified empty portable medical oxygen cylinders with a valve and pressure and flow regulator, not ordinary LPG cylinders. The UK Trade Tariff also attaches an import control of fluorinated greenhouse gases; the importer should confirm its requirements for the actual shipment with their customs broker.

Confirm the commodity code using the steel construction, gas service, pressure and water capacity. Describe whether the shipment contains empty or filled cylinders. The wider published guide also identifies these steel gas-container lines as within the forthcoming UK carbon border adjustment mechanism; see the UK carbon border guide.

Specify the LPG cylinder and valve together

Specify propane, butane or the intended mixture, working and test pressure, water capacity, tare weight, steel grade, heat treatment and cylinder dimensions. Agree the neck thread, valve model, outlet connection, valve protection, foot ring, coating and permanent markings. Give the factory the filling operator's specification before approving the sample.

Cylinders used to carry gas by road are transportable pressure equipment. For new cylinders supplied directly from China for the Great Britain market, agree conformity assessment and Rho marking before production. A Great Britain-appointed inspection body can authorise that marking. Ask for the certificate covering the exact cylinder design and valve configuration.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2,000 empty welded steel LPG cylinders under 7311 00 91 00, invoiced at £120,000 free on board, with £8,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £128,000. Duty at 2% is £2,560. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £130,560, so it is £26,112. Import taxes total £28,672; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,560 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Documents: match the design certificate and batch test records to the supplied cylinder model, valve configuration and serial numbers.

Valve and threads: gauge the neck thread against the agreed valve; check the outlet connection and valve guard against the approved sample.

Cylinder body: inspect welds, foot rings and guards for visible damage; check dimensions, tare weight and coating against the specification.

Markings and arrival condition: read permanent markings, compare them with the documents, and check sampled interiors for moisture or scale and packing for movement damage.

What goes wrong

A cylinder can match the sample's appearance but arrive with the wrong valve connection, unreadable markings or a certificate covering another design. Missing conformity documents can prevent acceptance by the filling operator. Moisture, scale, damaged guards and poor packing create further rejection risks.

Agree the document pack and filling operator's acceptance criteria before production. Verify threads and markings before dispatch, then repeat the agreed condition checks on arrival. Use quality inspection to record defects against the approved specification.

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.