Sourcing antimony trioxide from China

Antimony trioxide duty and classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, antimony oxides under 2825 80 00 00 carried 4% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for this line. Heading 2825 covers inorganic bases and metal oxides, hydroxides and peroxides, alongside hydrazine and hydroxylamine and their inorganic salts.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches an import waste control to this line. Waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. For waste material from China, confirm the applicable notification and consent requirements with your customs broker and the relevant regulator before shipment. The record also lists an export waste control, relevant when planning a return shipment.

The applications in the table share the same antimony oxides line; they are not separate tariff subdivisions. Confirm the commodity code for the actual composition, particularly for formulated or blended products. See the wider metal oxides guide for other products within this heading.

Specify assay, impurities and powder behaviour

Describe the material as antimony trioxide rather than simply antimony oxide. Agree assay, lead and arsenic impurity limits, moisture, particle size distribution, colour and whether the powder has a surface treatment. Name the test methods and reporting basis so that certificates from different suppliers can be compared.

For a plastics or rubber application, trial dispersion in your own formulation before approving the bulk specification. Agree lined, sealed packaging and a certificate of analysis for each batch. Keep an approved sample for comparison with arrival samples.

For Great Britain, confirm the applicable UK REACH registration route with HSE before ordering, including whether coverage through an only representative is appropriate. Substances placed on the Great Britain market must also be classified and labelled under its chemical classification and labelling rules.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 tonnes of antimony trioxide powder, illustrative order only under 2825 80 00 00, invoiced at £200,000 free on board, with £6,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £206,000. Duty at 4% is £8,240. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £214,240, so it is £42,848. Import taxes total £51,088; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £8,240 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the purchase specification, batch certificate and safety data sheet to antimony trioxide and the supplied grade.

Laboratory: independently check assay, agreed impurities, moisture and particle size against the contract, using representative batch samples.

Packaging: check liners, closures, bag damage, net weights and batch identification; photograph leakage or water damage before moving affected stock.

Documents: check the English safety data sheet, registration coverage and classification labels. Arrange quality inspection around the agreed sampling and laboratory checks.

What goes wrong

Matching assay figures can hide differences in particle size, impurity content or surface treatment. A powder that passed the supplier's assay may disperse poorly in your formulation or alter its colour. Avoid approving a substitute solely because the headline purity matches.

Broken liners, moisture and inconsistent batch records make arrival disputes harder to resolve. Record the condition before opening, retain samples and compare results using the agreed methods. Keep affected material separate while investigating a mismatch.

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.