Catalysts and initiators from China

Rates and suspensions

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, reaction initiators, reaction accelerators and catalytic preparations of heading 3815 carried a base duty of 6% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Supported catalysts in grains of a listed particle size (3815 19 10 00) and ethyltriphenylphosphonium acetate solution (3815 90 10 00) were 0%.

Many listed catalysts have whole-line 0% suspensions to the end of 2028, including the catalyst of titanium dioxide and tungsten trioxide used for SCR DeNOx (3815 90 90 76), several organometallic polyolefin catalysts, a titanium dioxide powder catalyst and a zeolite alkylation catalyst; on 3815 12 00 90 a listed platinum catalyst-coated membrane is suspended, and some Ziegler-type catalysts are 0% only under authorised use. Match the chemistry against the listed description before claiming 0%. Finished catalytic converters for vehicles are filters of heading 8421, not catalysts.

Specifying and handling catalysts

Catalysts are bought on active metal loading measured by ICP analysis, support, shape and size, specific surface area by the BET method of ISO 9277, pore volume, crush strength and attrition, and for initiators on assay, half-life temperature and storage conditions. Precious metal catalysts are priced on metal content, so agree the assay method, sampling and the treatment of the spent catalyst before ordering.

Nickel compounds and many organic peroxide initiators are hazardous, so they need GB CLP labels, an English safety data sheet and, for peroxides and pyrophoric catalysts, dangerous goods packing and temperature control in transit; importers of more than one tonne a year of a substance must check [UK REACH](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-comply-with-reach-chemical-regulations).

Worked duty example

Take a hypothetical order of 5 tonnes of supported nickel hydrogenation catalyst, entered under 3815 11 00 00: £90,000 free on board plus £2,500 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £92,500. The 6% duty on nickel catalysts comes to £5,550, and import VAT is 20% of £98,050, which is £19,610. If you are VAT-registered you normally reclaim the £19,610, leaving £5,550 as the real cost at the border. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.

What goes wrong

Catalysts fail on activity, loading and handling. Metal loading or surface area misses the specification so conversion falls; pellets are weak and break into fines in the reactor; a regenerated or off-spec lot is supplied as fresh; pyrophoric or peroxide products are packed without the right stabilisation or temperature control; and precious metal assays disagree between buyer and seller.

Test metal loading, surface area, size distribution and crush strength on each lot against the certificate, run a small activity test in the buyer's reactor conditions for new suppliers, agree an independent assay for precious metal catalysts, check dangerous goods packing, labels and safety data sheets, and keep a retained sample of each lot.

Cambridge China Bridge sources catalysts and initiators for chemical, refining, emissions and polymer producers, and checks factories and their test labs before an order. See how we verify factories.