Sourcing cobalt-alloy scrap from China

Zero duty, with waste shipment controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 8105 covers cobalt and its articles, including waste and scrap. The relevant scrap line is 8105 30 00 00. It carries 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension recorded. The supplied facts contain only this relevant scrap line.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches both import and export waste controls. For shipments under notification controls, consent from the dispatch, destination and transit authorities is needed before shipping. Ask your customs broker and the destination waste regulator to confirm the procedure for the actual Chinese lot; a customs code alone does not settle its waste classification.

Confirm the alloy composition and scrap condition using our commodity code guide. For other forms covered by the heading, see cobalt metal and powders.

Specify the alloy and the scrap stream

State the cobalt-based alloy grade, cobalt assay and agreed limits for chromium, nickel, tungsten, molybdenum, iron and carbon. Describe the source and form: production offcuts, rejected castings or machining scrap. Agree whether grades may be mixed and how the supplier will segregate each lot.

Set acceptance terms for cutting oil, moisture, coatings, attached steel and non-metallic material. Agree representative sampling, independent analysis, net metal weight and how disputed results will be resolved. Ask for lot photographs and a certificate of analysis tied to the material offered.

For onward transfers in England or Wales, check that the recipient is authorised to take the waste before transferring it.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 tonnes of sorted cobalt-alloy scrap under 8105 30 00 00, invoiced at £60,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £62,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £62,500, so it is £12,500. 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

Chemistry: compare independent assay results with the agreed alloy composition and the supplier's certificate.

Sorting: inspect beneath the surface for mixed alloys, attached steel, coated pieces and concealed non-metallic material.

Weight and condition: check tare and net weight, retained oil, moisture and loose fines against the purchase specification.

Traceability: match lot markings, packing records and shipment paperwork to the material received. Agree sampling through our quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

Mixed nickel-based and cobalt-based scrap can look similar but give a different melt chemistry. Surface-only sampling can miss lower-grade material beneath the load, while oil, moisture and attached steel inflate the apparent metal weight.

A certificate may describe a selected sample rather than the whole lot. Agree sampling across the load and keep grades separated. Confirm the waste shipment procedure before booking transport, rather than relying on the supplier's description of the goods as recyclable metal.

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.