Sourcing steel pallet strapping seals from China

Duty and classification for steel strapping seals

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 8 October 2026, heading 7326 covers other articles of iron or steel. Finished steel strapping seals should be checked against the residual line 7326 90 98 90. The table shows seal profiles against this candidate code, rather than separate tariff classifications. Send drawings, material details and the manufacturing sequence to your broker, and confirm the commodity code before ordering.

The supplied record shows 2% duty for goods from China, no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, no steel trade measure and no suspension on that residual line. A suspension elsewhere in the heading for specified stainless steel curved discs does not describe ordinary strapping seals. The residual line carries torture-goods import and export controls. Official guidance prohibits importing or exporting the specified prohibited goods; ask your broker to confirm how the attached controls apply to your pallet seals.

For steel supply-chain checks, official guidance says traders should be prepared to provide documentation demonstrating compliance with the relevant prohibitions. Ask the factory for verifiable steel-origin and processing records. Confirm with HMRC or your customs broker whether heading 7326 falls within the UK carbon border adjustment mechanism and when any obligations apply; request supplier emissions data and consult the UK carbon border guide.

Specify the seal, strap and tool together

Specify whether the seal is open, closed or overlapping, and whether its gripping surface is plain or serrated. Give the factory the strap material, width and thickness, seal length, internal clearance, steel thickness, coating and dimensional tolerances. Supply an approved physical sample alongside the drawing.

Name the sealing tool and jaw profile, then approve joints made using your actual strap and tool. Agree a joint holding test and acceptance criteria before production. Do not accept a seal-strength statement without the test setup and failure results. For equipment selection, see the automatic strapping machines guide. For the pallets themselves, see our guide to sourcing steel pallets.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative wholesale stock order of mixed cartons of steel pallet strapping seals under 7326 90 98 90, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £5,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £35,000. Duty at 2% is £700. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £35,700, so it is £7,140. Import taxes total £7,840; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £700 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Dimensions: measure seal length, steel thickness and internal clearance against the drawing, and check that the strap enters without forcing.

Edges and finish: check for burrs, cracks, rust, loose coating and distorted folds that could cut the strap or obstruct the jaws.

Joint performance: make trial joints from sampled cartons using the agreed strap and tool, then check holding performance and the failure location.

Packing and identity: check carton counts, profile identification, batch references and moisture protection; record results through the agreed inspection process.

What goes wrong

A seal can fit over the strap yet produce a weak joint because its clearance, steel thickness or gripping profile does not suit the jaws. A change of strap material can also change performance. Approve the complete combination and repeat the joint check when a component changes.

Burrs can damage the strap, while coating build-up and distorted folds can prevent proper closure. Mixed profiles in identical cartons create picking mistakes. Keep approved samples, identify each profile separately and quarantine batches that fail the agreed checks.

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.