Sourcing cobalt titanate green pigments from China

Cobalt titanate green: check the residual line

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 3206 covers other colouring matter and specified preparations. The supplied tariff facts do not name cobalt titanate green separately. For an inorganic pigment sold as cobalt titanate green, check the residual line 3206 49 70 90 against its actual composition. The table repeats that candidate line for different proposed uses; these are not separate tariff subheadings.

This line carries 6% duty for goods from China and shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duty. Its suspension is limited to the specified Pigment Black 12 goods, so it does not provide relief for cobalt titanate green. The tariff attaches an import waste control and also lists export controls for waste and dangerous chemicals. Ask your customs broker to confirm their application, including any proposed re-export.

For material from China entering England as waste under notification controls, the exporter must apply to the competent authority in the country of dispatch for consent. Confirm the full shipment requirements with your broker before dispatch. Cobalt chromite green has a separate named line and should not be selected merely because the pigment is green. Confirm the commodity code and see the wider pigment guide.

Specify the green shade and pigment composition

Ask for the chemical identity, full composition, any surface treatment and any added carrier or dispersant. Make cobalt titanate green explicit in the purchase specification rather than accepting a description such as cobalt green. Agree an approved reference sample, shade tolerance, tinting strength, particle-size requirements, moisture and packing.

Test the sample in your actual coating binder, plastic resin or ceramic glaze. Agree the mixing method and processing conditions before comparing batches. For ceramics, compare fired samples in the intended glaze and firing cycle; for coatings and plastics, compare dispersion and colour in the finished material.

For Great Britain, confirm with HSE how annual import quantities affect the UK REACH registration position and whether a manufacturer's GB only representative can cover your imports. Chemical classification is the supplier's responsibility, and substances and mixtures must be correctly labelled and packaged before being placed on the market. Obtain the safety data sheet where required.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of cobalt titanate green pigment powder; illustrative FOB and freight values under 3206 49 70 90, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £26,000. Duty at 6% is £1,560. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £27,560, so it is £5,512. Import taxes total £7,072; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,560 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the purchase specification, batch certificate and safety data sheet to the pigment supplied; investigate any change in composition or treatment.

Colour: compare shade and tinting strength with the retained reference using the agreed binder, resin or glaze and preparation method.

Dispersion: check for coarse particles, specks and persistent agglomerates; repeat the agreed application trial on an arrival sample.

Packing: check liners, seals, moisture, caking and sampled bag weights; match bag batch identifiers to the certificate and retain a batch sample.

What goes wrong

A similar green powder can have a different chemical identity or formulation. Shade approval alone does not establish that the factory supplied cobalt titanate green. A sample that disperses well in the supplier's test medium may leave specks in your resin or binder, while a glaze trial may change colour after firing.

Batch changes, damp packing and inconsistent grinding can cause colour drift, caking or poor dispersion. Put composition, reference samples and application tests into the purchase specification. Resolve changed chemical paperwork before using or selling the batch, and use testing and certification support to define the checks.

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.