Sourcing bone char filtration media from China
Bone char filtration media from China under 3802 90 00 90 carries 0% UK duty, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty recorded. Confirm waste status and ask the Animal and Plant Health Agency whether bone-product import conditions apply to the processed grade. Cambridge China Bridge sources bone char filtration media.
Zero duty on bone char filtration media
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 3802 covers activated carbon, activated natural mineral products and animal black, including spent animal black. Bone char falls within the animal-black family. The table shows forms sharing 3802 90 00 90, rather than separate tariff subdivisions. See the wider activated carbon and filter aids guide.
The supplied tariff record gives 0% duty for Chinese-origin goods under this code, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension recorded. It attaches a waste import control. For waste subject to notification controls entering England, the exporter in China must apply to its competent authority for consent. Ask your customs broker to confirm the waste classification and shipment requirements before dispatch.
Confirm the commodity code using the composition, processing history, physical form and intended use. Ask the Animal and Plant Health Agency whether its bone-product import conditions apply to the finished media. That guidance permits imports from any country but requires production at an establishment approved to export to Great Britain. This does not establish that a particular Chinese factory or grade is eligible.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granular bone char filtration media | 3802 90 00 90 | 0% | None |
Specify bone origin and filtration performance
Specify animal species, bone source, carbonisation process, mineral and carbon composition, particle-size distribution, fines, moisture, bulk density and resistance to abrasion. State whether the material is virgin or regenerated. Agree limits with the factory against an approved sample rather than accepting a generic activated-carbon data sheet.
Define the liquid, target contaminant, operating conditions and acceptance test. For a fluoride-removal application, request performance data using representative feed water and agree how breakthrough will be assessed. Include checks for substances released into the treated liquid. For drinking-water or food-processing applications, obtain confirmation of suitability for the intended use before ordering.
UK REACH regulates chemicals placed on the market in Great Britain. Review the grade's composition, applicable exemptions and your supply-chain role with your adviser. Ask the factory for substance identity and processing records, alongside the batch analysis.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 tonnes of granular bone char for a filtration-media distributor; illustrative only under 3802 90 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: match the bone source, processing records and batch analysis to the approved grade; investigate unexplained changes in mineral or carbon composition.
Granules: check sieve distribution, fines and abrasion against the agreed specification; compare retained samples before and after handling.
Performance: test representative media with the intended liquid; check contaminant removal, breakthrough behaviour and substances released during rinsing.
Packaging: check dry, intact bags, batch identification, net weight and traceability to the production lot; compare moisture with the agreed limit.
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What goes wrong
Weak granules generate fines that restrict flow and darken the initial filtrate. Excess moisture distorts delivered weight. A change in bone source or carbonisation can alter performance even when the media looks unchanged. Hold a disputed lot separately and compare its analysis and application test with the approved sample.
A supplier's description of spent material as reusable does not settle its waste classification. Resolve that status and the animal-origin import route before booking freight. Do not accept a general adsorption result as proof of performance in your process.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on bone char from China?
The supplied tariff record gives 0% for 3802 90 00 90, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty recorded. The waste import control still needs checking.
Can bone char filtration media be imported from China?
Bone-product guidance permits imports from any country but requires an approved exporting establishment. Ask the Animal and Plant Health Agency whether that route applies to the processed grade and factory.
Can I import spent bone char for regeneration?
Confirm its waste classification before shipment. For waste entering England under notification controls, the Chinese exporter must apply to its competent authority for consent.
What should I test before accepting bone char?
Check origin, composition, particle size, fines, moisture and abrasion, then test removal performance and substances released using the liquid and operating conditions agreed for your application.