Sourcing bismuth ore concentrates from China

Duty on bismuth ore concentrates

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 2617 covers other ores and concentrates. Bismuth ore concentrates fall within the other line, 2617 90 00 00, subject to confirmation against the actual material. The supplied file contains only this relevant commodity line. See the wider ores guide for the heading.

The supplied record shows 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. It attaches import waste controls, export waste controls and an export mercury control to this line. Ask your customs broker to confirm their application to the material and intended movement.

Confirm mineral identity, processing history and waste status before settling the commodity code. Waste shipment controls apply where the material is waste. For notified waste imported into England from China, the exporter must apply for consent to the competent authority in the dispatch country and follow its procedures.

Specify bismuth content and the settlement basis

Specify bismuth content on a dry basis, moisture, particle size and agreed limits for lead, arsenic, antimony and mercury. Describe the mineral feed and concentration process, and ask the receiving processor to approve the assay specification. Distinguish mined concentrate from recovered processing residue.

Agree representative sampling across the lot, sealed retained samples, the independent laboratory and a dispute procedure. Define how dry weight and the assay determine settlement. Obtain the processing history for an HSE check of the UK REACH registration position. Have someone with scientific competence classify and label the concentrate for supply in Great Britain.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of bagged bismuth ore concentrate for a specialist processor under 2617 90 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 bag marks, lot references and processing records to the purchase order and assay report.

Assay: independently sample the shipment and compare dry-basis bismuth content and impurities with the processor's agreed specification.

Condition: check moisture, particle size, wet patches and caking; reconcile delivered weight with the agreed settlement basis.

Packing: inspect bag seams, liners, leakage and container dryness. Plan the sampling and arrival checks with the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A selected sample can overstate bismuth content across the shipment. Uneven blending can hide impurity pockets, while extra moisture increases wet weight without increasing payable metal. Link the settlement assay to representative samples from the shipped lot.

Recovered residue sold as concentrate can leave waste status unresolved. Confirm it before booking transport. For imports into England under notification controls, ask the Environment Agency or your customs broker to confirm whose consent is needed and when shipment may begin. Ask your broker to confirm the applicable procedure for the actual material and route.

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.