Sourcing wave springs from China

Duty and classification for wave springs

Heading 7320 covers springs and leaves for springs of iron or steel. This guide concerns wave springs used for axial loading and preload. The table lists descriptions to compare with the actual construction, rather than interchangeable codes for the same part. Spring washers classify elsewhere. See the wider steel springs guide.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 November 2026, all supplied lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied records list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, steel measure, suspension or attached import control. Import VAT is separate from customs duty.

Include the commodity code on the import declaration. Give your customs broker the drawing, material and construction details, including whether the spring is helical or a separate waved ring. Confirm the commodity code before shipment.

Specify load at installed height

Specify material grade, strip thickness and width, inside and outside diameters, free height, wave geometry, turn arrangement and end form. State the load and tolerance at the installed height, the working travel and the space available around the shaft and housing. Agree the measurement fixture so the factory and buyer test the same seating conditions.

For repeated movement, agree fatigue testing and allowable permanent set. State the operating environment, finish and corrosion test acceptance criteria. Ask for material certificates and heat-treatment records. UK REACH generally applies to substances in articles; review the material and coating information for the intended market.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative batch of steel wave springs, subject to classification confirmation under 7320 90 90 90, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £19,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £19,500, so it is £3,900. 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

Load: measure force at the agreed installed heights using the specified fixture, and compare results across the batch.

Geometry: check diameters, free height, strip dimensions, wave shape and end position; trial-fit samples in the mating assembly.

Material and finish: match certificates to the ordered grade and batch; inspect edges, cracks, tool marks and coating coverage.

Recovery and packing: check permanent set after the agreed compression test, and inspect for distorted waves, nesting and transit corrosion on arrival.

What goes wrong

A spring can fit the housing yet deliver the wrong preload because strip thickness, wave height or heat treatment has changed. Testing only free height misses this. Uneven seating or a different test fixture can also produce misleading load results.

Burrs can mark mating faces, overlapping ends can catch during assembly, and excessive compression can leave permanent set. Keep an approved sample and drawing revision, agree functional tests before production, and use quality inspection to check production parts against those requirements.

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.