Sourcing titanium expanded mesh from China

Duty on finished mesh and sheet feedstock

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 October 2026, heading 8108 covers titanium and its articles, including waste and scrap. Finished expanded mesh is a candidate for 8108 90 90 99, carrying 6% duty from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table distinguishes finished articles from sheet feedstock; it does not classify finished mesh as sheet.

The listed rolled non-alloyed sheet and alloy sheet feedstock lines carry a 6% base duty with a 0.00 % suspension, subject to their descriptions and exclusions; other sheet carries 6% without a suspension. The finished-article line attaches import and export waste controls. Waste shipment controls apply only to waste. For a shipment from China, ask your customs broker to confirm whether that control requires documents or consent for the actual goods.

Send the broker the mesh drawing, material composition, photographs and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Do not assume a sheet suspension survives expansion into mesh. For the wider heading and sheet purchasing, see titanium sheet from China.

Specify the diamond opening and strand geometry

State the titanium grade, raised or flattened finish, panel dimensions, strand width and thickness, and opening orientation. Define whether the long and short diamond measurements describe clear openings or pitch between corresponding points. Include a drawing showing the measuring points, tolerances, edge condition and any unexpanded border.

Ask for a heat-linked mill certificate and an approved sample made by the proposed production process. Specify flatness after flattening, cut-edge burr acceptance, cleanliness and packing that separates titanium from steel. Where mesh forms a guard, screen or support, agree a functional trial in the intended assembly.

For chemical compliance, HSE says substances in articles may require registration if intended to be released during use. Tell your compliance adviser about coatings and the intended function rather than treating a raw-sheet certificate as the complete assessment for the finished mesh.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 kg of finished titanium expanded mesh panels under 8108 90 90 99, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £30,800. Duty at 6% is £1,848. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £32,648, so it is £6,529.60. Import taxes total £8,377.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,848 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Material: match bundle identification to the heat certificate and check sampled chemistry against the ordered grade.

Geometry: measure opening dimensions, pitch, strand width, thickness and panel size using the drawing's stated measuring points.

Workmanship: inspect strand junctions for splits, edges for burrs, and flattened panels for distortion or uneven openings.

Packing: check panel counts, bent corners, surface contamination and separation from steel; record findings through the quality inspection process.

What goes wrong

A supplier measures diamond pitch while the buyer expects clear aperture, so apparently matching dimensions produce the wrong opening. Flattening can change strand geometry, while cutting leaves sharp edges or distorted corners. A certificate for the starting sheet does not demonstrate that finished mesh matches the drawing.

Approve a finished sample, retain its measurements and require the production inspection to use the same definitions. Investigate grade substitution, mixed heats, split junctions and packing damage before releasing affected panels for use.

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.