Zinc anodes and zinc articles from China

Zero duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, other articles of zinc in heading 7907, including sacrificial anodes, weights, tubes, pipe fittings and cast zinc parts not classified elsewhere, carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure and no suspension needed. Zinc alloy weights of a kind used in remote controls have their own line at the same rate.

Zinc plates, sheets and strip are a separate heading, and zinc die-cast handles, hinges, taps, buckles and toy parts are classified as the finished article, often at a different rate. Galvanised steel is steel. Confirm the commodity code from what the part does; our magnesium anodes guide covers anodes for fresh water.

Anode alloys, die-casting alloys and lead

Galvanic zinc anodes for seawater are made to an alloy specification such as ASTM B418 or MIL-DTL-18001, which cap the iron content because a little too much iron lets the anode surface passivate and stop protecting the hull, and anodes for offshore structures are usually made and tested to the manufacturing and quality requirements of DNV-RP-B401. Zinc anodes are for salt water; fresh water calls for magnesium and brackish water often aluminium.

Zinc die-castings are made from Zamak alloys such as ZP3 and ZP5, specified by BS EN 12844 for castings and BS EN 1774 for ingot. Under UK REACH Annex XVII, entry 63 limits lead in articles supplied to the public that children could put in their mouths and in jewellery, and entry 23 limits cadmium in jewellery, so ask for an analysis of the alloy used for consumer parts; see our UK REACH guide.

Worked duty example

Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 2 tonnes of zinc hull and shaft anodes under 7907 00 00 90. At £9,000 free on board and £900 to ship and insure, the customs value is £9,900. With 0% duty on zinc anodes, the only charge is import VAT: 20% of £9,900, or £1,980. VAT-registered businesses usually recover that in their next return. Zinc die-cast handles, hinges or taps are classified by what they are, often at a different rate. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.

What goes wrong

Zinc anodes fail in the water, and die-castings fail at the surface. Anodes cast from recycled zinc carry too much iron or lead and go grey and stop working within weeks, cast-in straps and inserts pull out, and weights are light against the drawing. Die-cast parts show porosity, cold shuts and flash, and plating blisters over porosity after a humidity test.

Analyse each melt by spark emission spectrometry against the alloy specification, weigh and measure sampled anodes, pull-test cast-in straps, run an electrochemical capacity and potential test on samples for structural anodes, and for die-castings section a sample for porosity, check plating adhesion and thickness, and run a salt spray test to ISO 9227 for the hours agreed.

Cambridge China Bridge sources zinc anodes, weights and zinc die-cast parts for chandlers, boatyards and manufacturers, and can qualify a Chinese foundry alongside a current supplier. See our second-supplier service.