Carbon black from China
Carbon black from China, including rubber grades such as N220, N330 and N550, pigment blacks and conductive and acetylene blacks, pays 0% UK duty with no anti-dumping duty. Grades are named under ASTM D1765 and checked for iodine adsorption, oil absorption, pour density, ash and sieve residue, and dust handling falls under DSEAR 2002. Cambridge China Bridge sources carbon black.
Rubber and pigment grades of carbon black, such as N330 and N550, and conductive carbon from China pay 0% UK duty. ASTM tests, dust safety and an example.
Zero duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, carbon, including carbon blacks and other forms of carbon not elsewhere specified, of heading 2803 carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure or suspension needed. The heading is a single line, so rubber, pigment and conductive grades share the code.
Activated carbon is in heading 3802, covered in our activated carbon guide, and graphite and carbon fibre in other headings, covered in our carbon fibre and graphite guide. Confirm the commodity code for dispersions and masterbatches, which are preparations.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon blacks and other forms of carbon | 2803 00 00 00 | 0% | None |
Grades, food contact and dust
Rubber-grade carbon black is named under the ASTM D1765 system, such as N220, N330, N550 and N660, where the number tracks particle size and structure, so the grade name alone fixes much of the specification for tyres, hoses and mouldings. Pigment and conductive blacks are bought on jetness, tint strength, dispersibility or resistivity instead. Carbon black used in plastics for food contact must meet the purity restrictions in retained Regulation (EU) No 10/2011.
Carbon black is a fine combustible dust, so storage and handling in the UK fall under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 as well as workplace exposure controls. An importer of more than one tonne a year should check UK REACH registration; see our UK REACH guide.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 20 tonnes of N330 pelletised carbon black in bulk bags, commodity code 2803 00 00 00, bought for £22,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance, so £24,000 is the value customs works from. No duty is due on carbon black; import VAT at 20% of £24,000 is £4,800. If you are VAT-registered, that VAT is normally reclaimable. Activated carbon is classified in heading 3802 and graphite in 2504 or 3801, so check the product before declaring. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.
What goes wrong
Carbon black fails on grade and cleanliness. A different grade is shipped against the order, so reinforcement or processing changes; grit and coke particles cause surface defects in extrusions and thin films; ash and sulphur run high; pellets are too soft and break into dust, or too hard to disperse; moisture rises in transit; and bags split and contaminate the container.
Test each lot for iodine adsorption to ASTM D1510, oil absorption number to ASTM D2414, pour density to ASTM D1513, heating loss to ASTM D1509, ash to ASTM D1506 and sieve residue to ASTM D1514 against the grade in ASTM D1765, check pellet hardness and fines where specified, and inspect bag or bulk-bag condition and liners before loading.
Cambridge China Bridge sources rubber, pigment and conductive carbon black for compounders, tyre and hose makers and masterbatch producers, and can qualify a Chinese producer as a second source. See our second-supplier service.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on carbon black from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, carbon black carried 0% from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
What does N330 mean?
It is a rubber-grade carbon black named under ASTM D1765, a common reinforcing grade for tyres and rubber goods.
How do I check carbon black quality?
Test iodine adsorption, oil absorption, pour density, ash, heating loss and sieve residue by the ASTM methods.
Is carbon black dust a safety risk?
Yes. It is a combustible dust, so handling falls under DSEAR 2002 and workplace exposure controls.