Sourcing cobalt foil from China

Cobalt foil duty and classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 8105 covers cobalt mattes, metallurgical intermediate products, cobalt and its articles, including waste and scrap. Cobalt foil belongs within the other cobalt articles description, 8105 90 00 00, subject to confirmation against the actual material. The table shows foil formats using the same commodity line.

The supplied tariff facts show 0% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached control on the other articles line. The separate waste and scrap line carries import and export waste controls. Waste shipment controls apply when the material is waste; for foil offcuts imported from China as scrap, confirm the applicable requirements with your customs broker before shipment.

Give your broker the composition, manufacturing form and intended use, then confirm the commodity code. For wider cobalt sheet purchasing, see cobalt alloy sheet. Use the duty and VAT guide to distinguish duty from import VAT.

Specify cobalt foil thickness and condition

State whether you want cobalt metal or a named alloy, with agreed cobalt content and impurity limits. Specify thickness and its permitted variation, width, usable length or cut dimensions, temper, flatness, edge condition and surface finish. Agree whether rolling oil, visible oxidation, pinholes or scratches are acceptable. Request a batch analysis certificate and a sample for your forming or joining trial.

UK REACH registration covers substances on their own, substances in mixtures and, in limited cases, substances in articles. Whether an object qualifies as an article can require assessment. Ask your compliance adviser to assess the supplied foil and its intended use before importing into Great Britain, rather than assuming that the word foil settles registration.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small batch of cut cobalt foil for engineering trials; values are illustrative under 8105 90 00 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,300. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,300, so it is £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: match batch identification to the analysis certificate and independently test cobalt content and agreed impurities.

Dimensions: measure thickness across the width and along sampled foil; check slit width, cut dimensions, flatness and edge burrs against the order.

Surface: inspect against light for pinholes, tears, creases, scratches, oxidation and oil residue; trial the intended forming or joining process.

Packing: check interleaving, moisture protection and rigid support; match roll or pack identifiers to the packing list. Agree checks through the inspection guide.

What goes wrong

Thin foil can arrive creased, torn at the edges or wound unevenly. Thickness variation can affect forming and assembly, while oil residue or oxidation can disrupt joining. A certificate that identifies only the material grade leaves the delivered batch difficult to trace.

Agree a usable-area acceptance criterion and a method for measuring thickness before production. Ask for photographs of edges and packing, retain the approved sample, and compare the delivered batch with that sample before releasing it into production.

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.