Sourcing steel wire from China
Steel wire from China splits in two under the UK steel measure from 1 July 2026: uncoated wire, such as black annealed and bright wire, and copper-coated wire pay 0% within a quarterly quota and 50% once it is used up, while galvanised wire stays at 0% outside the measure. There is no anti-dumping duty. Cambridge China Bridge sources steel wire.
Galvanised steel wire from China pays 0% UK duty; uncoated and copper-coated wire face the 50% out-of-quota steel duty from July 2026. Worked example.
The steel measure splits the heading
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, wire of iron or non-alloy steel that is not plated or coated, and wire plated or coated with base metals other than zinc, such as copper-coated welding wire, carried the 50% third-country duty of the UK steel trade measure, with 0% tariff quotas that Chinese goods can use through the residual quota for other countries. Wire plated or coated with zinc and other wire of heading 7217 carried 0% outside the measure. None of the lines had an anti-dumping measure on China.
Goods under contract before 14 March 2026 and imported by 30 September 2026 could claim a transitional exemption with document code 9Y16. Stranded wire, ropes and cables are in heading 7312, see the wire rope guide, and wire of alloy or stainless steel in other headings, so confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uncoated wire, under 0.8 mm | 7217 10 10 00 | 0% in quota / 50% out of quota | None |
| Uncoated wire, 0.8 mm or more, under 0.25% carbon, other | 7217 10 39 00 | 0% in quota / 50% out of quota | None |
| Galvanised wire, 0.8 mm or more, under 0.25% carbon | 7217 20 30 00 | 0% | None |
| Galvanised high-carbon wire, other | 7217 20 90 90 | 0% | None |
| Copper-coated wire | 7217 30 41 00 | 0% in quota / 50% out of quota | None |
| Other wire, under 0.25% carbon | 7217 90 20 00 | 0% | None |
Grades and coatings
Steel wire is specified by diameter and tolerance, carbon content or grade, tensile strength, condition such as annealed or hard drawn, and coating. Zinc coatings on steel wire are specified to BS EN 10244-2 by coating mass class, so a fencing or garden wire buyer should state the class rather than just galvanised, and spring wire is supplied to BS EN 10270.
Coils are specified by weight, inner and outer diameter and packing, and wire for welding or electrical use has its own standards. The wire mesh and fencing guide covers finished mesh and fence products.
Worked duty example
A hypothetical order, not a quote: 50 tonnes of 2.5 mm galvanised wire under 7217 20 30 00, bought for £40,000 free on board with £3,000 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £43,000. Duty is 0% and import VAT is 20%, or £8,600, which a VAT-registered buyer usually reclaims. The same tonnage of uncoated black wire under 7217 10 39 00 would pay 0% while quota is available but 50%, or £21,500, once the quarter's quota has gone, so the coating decides whether the steel measure applies. See UK import duty and VAT.
What goes wrong
Wire fails on diameter, strength and coating. Wire drawn under the ordered diameter or outside tolerance reduces weight and strength, tensile strength misses the grade so it snaps in machines or stretches in fences, and zinc coatings are lighter than the class ordered and rust within a season. Coils tangle because they were badly wound, and wire described as galvanised to avoid the steel measure but actually uncoated or copper-coated is a customs risk.
Measure diameter at several points along sample coils, run tensile and wrap tests, check zinc coating mass by the strip-and-weigh method to BS EN 10244-2, check coil weight, dimensions and winding, ask for mill certificates with heat numbers, and make sure the declared coating and code match the goods and the quota position before shipment.
Cambridge China Bridge sources galvanised, black annealed, bright and coated steel wire, with coating, strength and steel quota status checked before the order. Read how we handle steel orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on galvanised wire from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, zinc-coated steel wire of heading 7217 carried 0% duty and was outside the 50% steel measure.
Is black annealed wire in the steel measure?
Yes. Uncoated wire pays 0% within the quarterly quota and 50% once it is used up, from 1 July 2026.
Which standard covers zinc coating on wire?
BS EN 10244-2 specifies zinc coating mass classes for steel wire.
Is there anti-dumping duty on Chinese steel wire?
No anti-dumping measure applied to heading 7217 from China when checked.