Sourcing activated carbon fibre cloth from China

Duty and classification for activated carbon cloth

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 3802 covers activated carbon, activated natural mineral products and animal black. For cloth supplied as activated carbon, 3802 10 00 90 is the candidate other-activated-carbon line, carrying 0% duty from China. No trade remedy or suspension is recorded for that line. The table shows supply formats sharing this candidate code, rather than separate tariff lines.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. If spent cloth from China is imported into England as waste under notification controls, consent from the dispatch, destination and transit competent authorities is needed before shipment. Ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable waste route and paperwork; do the same before arranging a return shipment.

Give your broker the composition, activation process, backing details and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Do not assume coated textiles or assembled filters share the raw material's code. See the wider activated carbon guide. Import VAT is normally 20%; see import duty and VAT.

Specify the cloth and its adsorption duty

State whether the fibres themselves are activated or an ordinary fabric carries added carbon. Specify woven construction, fibre feedstock, backing, binder, impregnation and any surface treatment. Agree roll width, usable length, thickness, mass per area, tensile strength, edge condition and permitted joins against an approved sample.

Specify the substance to be adsorbed and the conditions of use, including humidity, temperature, airflow and contact time. Agree an adsorption test and acceptance criteria for the exact cloth. A generic carbon test report does not demonstrate the performance of a backed or impregnated cloth in your application.

UK REACH registration applies to substances on their own, substances in mixtures and, in limited cases, substances in articles. Check which description fits the supplied cloth and what obligations follow. Include the backing and treatments in that assessment.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 rolls of unbacked activated carbon fibre cloth under 3802 10 00 90, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £32,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £32,500, so it is £6,500. 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

Identity: compare the batch designation, composition declaration and treatment details with the approved sample and purchase order.

Dimensions: measure usable width, roll length, thickness and mass per area; record joins, damaged edges and short rolls.

Performance: compare batch adsorption results with the agreed method and acceptance criteria; check strength, flexibility and carbon shedding.

Packing: inspect for moisture, contamination, crushed cores and loose winding; match roll labels to the batch records.

What goes wrong

A sample can perform differently from production cloth if the factory changes activation, binder or backing. Check for blocked airflow, weak adsorption, brittle fibres, delamination and black dust during cutting. Test production material in the intended assembly before accepting the batch.

Poor winding hides creases, edge damage and joins until conversion starts. Keep an approved sample and record defects by roll so that a claim identifies the affected material. Use quality inspection to agree checks before dispatch.

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.