Sourcing dental casting alloys from China
Cobalt chromium dental casting alloys entered under heading 8105 carry 0% UK duty from China, with no listed trade remedies. For sale in Great Britain as medical devices, registration and conformity requirements apply. Check alloy chemistry and intended use before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources cobalt chromium dental casting alloys.
Duty on cobalt chromium dental casting alloys
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 October 2026, heading 8105 covers cobalt metallurgy intermediates, cobalt and its articles, including waste and scrap. This guide concerns dental casting alloys confirmed within that heading. Unwrought casting feedstock is considered against 8105 20 00 00; confirm classification using the actual composition and supplied form.
The supplied lines all carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duties or suspensions. No tariff controls are listed against the unwrought or other articles lines. The scrap line carries waste import and export controls. For a China-to-England scrap shipment subject to notification controls, the exporter must apply to the dispatch country's competent authority for consent. Confirm the applicable waste requirements with your customs broker.
The table repeats the unwrought code for different purchasing forms, rather than separate tariff subdivisions. Confirm your commodity code before shipment. The cobalt metal and powders guide covers the wider heading.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unwrought cobalt chromium dental casting ingots | 8105 20 00 00 | 0% | None |
Specify the alloy and its dental casting process
State whether the alloy is for denture frameworks or metal-ceramic restorations. Agree cobalt, chromium and other alloying elements, impurity limits, supplied form and batch identification. Ask for melting and casting instructions, the recommended investment material, finishing instructions and restrictions on reusing casting returns. For porcelain work, agree thermal expansion compatibility with the laboratory's porcelain system and obtain trial results.
Confirm the supplier's intended purpose and medical-device status. If supplied as a medical device for the Great Britain market, it must be registered with the medicines and healthcare products regulator, and the manufacturer must meet relevant marking and conformity assessment requirements. A manufacturer based outside the UK must appoint a UK responsible person. UK REACH registration is per substance and legal entity; review registration coverage before importing. Arrange testing and certification checks around the exact alloy.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 200 kg of cobalt chromium dental casting ingots under 8105 20 00 00, invoiced at £12,500 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £13,300. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £13,300, so it is £2,660. 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 analysis with the agreed composition and the certificate for the delivered heat; include nickel and other agreed impurities.
Casting trial: use the receiving laboratory's equipment and agreed process; check mould filling, porosity, distortion and finishing behaviour.
Dental performance: review mechanical, corrosion and biological evaluation reports for the exact alloy; for porcelain applications, check bonding and thermal compatibility evidence.
Traceability and packing: match heat references on packs to certificates and instructions; check seals, cleanliness, net weight and separation of alloy grades. Set the sampling brief through the inspection guide.
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What goes wrong
An alloy described only as cobalt chromium can have chemistry that differs from the approved sample. Mixed heats, contaminated casting returns or an undocumented formulation change can make laboratory trial results unreliable. Castings may show incomplete filling, internal porosity or distortion; porcelain may crack or separate when the alloy and porcelain system are incompatible.
Agree a named formulation, batch-specific certificates and laboratory acceptance trials before releasing production. Keep samples from accepted heats and investigate any change in casting behaviour. Check that conformity documents identify the supplied alloy and intended use, rather than a different product in the supplier's catalogue.
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 cobalt chromium dental casting alloys from China?
For alloys confirmed under heading 8105, the supplied tariff lines carry 0% duty from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duties. Confirm the code for the actual composition and form.
Do dental casting alloys need medical-device registration?
If supplied as medical devices for the Great Britain market, they must be registered with the medicines and healthcare products regulator. The manufacturer must also meet relevant marking and conformity assessment requirements.
What documents should I request from the Chinese supplier?
Request batch-specific chemistry certificates, intended-use and casting instructions, and test reports identifying the exact alloy. For medical devices, check registration, conformity evidence and the UK responsible person.
Can I use the same alloy for denture frameworks and porcelain crowns?
Do not assume interchangeability. Agree the intended application and confirm mechanical performance, casting behaviour and, for porcelain work, thermal expansion and bonding compatibility through laboratory trials.