Sourcing antimony and other ores from China

Duty on antimony and other ores

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 3 October 2026, heading 2617 covers other ores and concentrates. Antimony ores and concentrates use 2617 10 00 00; the other line is 2617 90 00 00. The table separates ores from concentrates within the same codes.

Both lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. It attaches import waste controls and export waste controls to both lines, plus an export mercury control to the other line. Confirm the application of these controls with your customs broker, particularly for recovered material or mercury-bearing ores.

Check mineral identity, processing history and waste status before confirming the commodity code. Waste shipment controls apply only where material is waste. For imports into England under notification controls, the exporter starts the application in the dispatch country; the destination, dispatch and transit authorities must consent before shipment.

Specify mineral identity and payable content

Name the mineral and intended process, and distinguish mined ore from beneficiated concentrate or recovered residue. For antimony material, agree antimony content on a dry basis, impurity limits for arsenic, lead and mercury, moisture, particle size and the sampling method. Ask the receiving processor to approve the specification before ordering.

Agree how the laboratory sample represents the shipment, how retained samples are sealed, and how disputed assays will be resolved. Specify bag construction, liners and lot identification. Ask HSE or your customs broker to confirm whether natural ores and concentrates that are not chemically modified qualify for a UK REACH registration exemption; check the producer's processing history and REACH position.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of bagged antimony ore for a specialist mineral buyer under 2617 10 00 00, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £6,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £46,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £46,000, so it is £9,200. 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: match the mineral description, processing history and lot references to the order and assay report.

Assay: independently sample the lot and compare antimony content and agreed impurities with the receiving processor's specification.

Moisture: check moisture and particle size against the order, recording wet patches, fines and caking.

Packing: check bag seams, liners, leakage, lot marks and container dryness. Use the quality inspection guide to plan checks.

What goes wrong

A selected supplier sample can overstate the shipment's metal content. Moisture can inflate delivered weight, while uneven blending hides pockets of unwanted impurities. Agree representative sampling and dry-basis settlement before payment.

Recovered residue described as ore can create an unresolved waste-control problem. Establish its status before booking transport. For notified waste imported into England, the importer needs the relevant carrier, broker or dealer licence, and the recovery facility needs a permit or exemption covering the treatment.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification.