Sourcing steel roof trusses from China

Steel roof-truss duty and classification

Heading 7308 covers iron or steel structures and structural parts, including roofs and roofing frameworks. Fabricated steel roof trusses generally fit the other-structures category; construction solely or principally of sheet has a separate line. The table repeats codes where different truss configurations share a tariff line. For the wider product family, see steel structures and fabrications.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the relevant lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff data records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension, steel measure or attached import control for these lines. Heading 7308 is within the UK carbon border adjustment mechanism from 1 January 2027; ask the fabricator for the steel's mill traceability and emissions data.

Confirm the commodity code using drawings, material composition and the condition in which the trusses will arrive. Do not classify an unprepared steel section as a finished truss simply because it will eventually support a roof.

Specify the roof geometry and connections

Give the fabricator engineer-approved drawings showing span, roof pitch, support positions, loading assumptions, bracing, connection details and transport splits. Agree who supplies design calculations and who approves shop drawings. Specify steel grade, section sizes, weld details, bolt assemblies, corrosion protection and member identification before fabrication.

Ask the relevant construction products authority to confirm whether BS EN 1090-1 applies to your structural building components and which factory production control certification, execution-class information and declaration of performance are needed. Agree the execution class and fabrication requirements associated with BS EN 1090-2 with the project engineer. Obtain the factory certificate, welding procedures, welder qualifications and mill certificates, and match them to the actual fabricator and order.

For Great Britain, legitimately CE-marked construction products can continue to be supplied. Check the marking and declaration against the supplied truss type and intended use. A certificate covering another factory or an unrelated product does not establish that your order matches its scope.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative steel roof-truss package for a small commercial building, not a quotation under 7308 90 98 90, invoiced at £60,000 free on board, with £6,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £66,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £66,000, so it is £13,200. 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: check overall shape, support centres, diagonals, straightness and bolt-hole positions against the approved shop drawings. Trial-fit transport splices and support connections before packing.

Steel and welds: match member markings to mill certificates; check section dimensions, weld size and visual quality, plus the non-destructive testing specified for the execution class.

Coating and packing: measure the agreed coating or galvanising thickness, inspect weld areas and drainage details, and protect connection faces and projecting plates. Follow the stages in quality inspection.

Arrival: reconcile member labels, bolts and splice plates with the packing list and erection drawings. Record bent members, coating damage, corrosion and missing parts before releasing the package for erection.

What goes wrong

A truss can look correct while its support spacing, roof pitch or splice holes differ from the building drawings. Late changes to roof coverings or suspended equipment can also make the original loading assumptions unsuitable. Resolve drawing revisions with the project engineer before fabrication and retain the approved revision with inspection records.

Transport damage and incomplete connection kits can stop erection even when the main trusses are satisfactory. Agree lifting and packing arrangements, identify each member and pack connection hardware by assembly. Treat an unapproved change to steel grade, weld detail or coating as a discrepancy to resolve before 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.