Sourcing welded steel tubes from China

The steel quota and the 50% rate

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, almost every line of heading 7306 carried a third-country duty of 50% from 1 July 2026 under the UK steel trade measure that replaced the steel safeguard, with 0% tariff quotas alongside it. Goods from China can use the residual quota for countries other than the EU members and the countries with their own allocations, such as Turkey or India on some lines. HMRC allocates quota to importers first come, first served, in quarterly periods from 1 July 2026, and a quota becomes critical once 90% of the quarter is allocated.

Goods under contract before 14 March 2026 and imported between 1 July and 30 September 2026 can claim a transitional exemption with document code 9Y16 and evidence such as contracts, invoices and proofs of payment. Welded stainless line pipe and casing and tubing of 7306 11 and 7306 21 remained at 0% outside the measure. Seamless tubes are in the seamless steel tube guide.

Anti-dumping on small circular tubes

Trade remedies notice 2026/24 continued the anti-dumping duty on certain welded tubes and pipes of iron or non-alloy steel from China at 90.6% for all exporters, from 21 August 2026 to 30 January 2031, and varied the goods description. On circular tubes up to 168.3 mm outside diameter, line pipe for oil or gas pipelines, casing and tubing for drilling, precision tubes, and tubes with fittings for gases or liquids in civil aircraft are excluded with an additional code.

The anti-dumping duty is a separate measure from the steel quota duty, and the tariff lists both on the same codes, so a black or galvanised tube of 60 mm can carry 90.6% even when quota is available. Structural hollow sections to BS EN 10219, threadable tube to BS EN 10255 and pressure tube to BS EN 10217 each have their own standard and certificates.

Worked duty example

A hypothetical order, not a quote: 50 tonnes of black welded circular tube of 60.3 mm under 7306 30 77 80, bought for £32,000 free on board with £4,000 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £36,000. If quota is available, customs duty is 0%, but the 90.6% anti-dumping duty adds £32,616, and import VAT is 20% of £68,616, or £13,723.20. If the quarter's quota has run out, the 50% rate adds another £18,000 and VAT rises to £17,323.20. On that tube the two duties together exceed the value of the goods, which is why most buyers of small circular tube look at other origins; larger sections without anti-dumping duty depend mainly on quota. See UK import duty and VAT for the method.

What goes wrong

Welded tube fails on the weld seam, the coating and the classification. Seams with lack of fusion or cold laps split when the tube is flattened, bent or threaded, internal weld flash is left where the order said removed, and galvanising is thin, patchy or flaking. Hollow sections arrive with corner radii and wall thickness outside BS EN 10219 tolerances, and a tube declared as a precision tube or larger diameter to avoid anti-dumping duty that does not meet the description is a customs risk for the importer.

Ask for mill certificates to BS EN 10204 with heat numbers, run flattening and bend tests on samples, check weld seam quality and internal flash, measure coating mass on galvanised tube, check dimensions and corner radii against the standard, confirm quota availability and the anti-dumping status of the exact product before shipment, and keep evidence for any exclusion code you declare.

Cambridge China Bridge sources welded tubes and hollow sections, with quota, anti-dumping exposure and standards checked before the order. Read how we handle steel orders.