Sourcing copper ores from China

Copper ores and concentrates: 0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, heading 2603 covers copper ores and concentrates. Its only commodity line, 2603 00 00 00, carries 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. The table contains the sole available commodity line.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. Waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. For imports into England under notification controls, the exporter must apply to the dispatch country's competent authority for consent. For a shipment from China, ask your customs broker to confirm its waste status, whether import is permitted and the applicable procedure. The attached export control concerns outward shipments; confirm it before any return shipment.

Give your broker the mineral description, processing history, assay and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Ask HSE or your customs broker to confirm whether a UK REACH registration exemption applies to the natural ores and concentrates. Check the supplier's position if processing changes the chemistry.

Specify copper content on a dry basis

State whether you need ore or concentrate, the intended processing route and the receiving plant's acceptance specification. Agree copper content on a dry basis, moisture, particle size and limits for arsenic, lead, mercury and other unwanted constituents. Ask for the processing history and a representative lot assay.

Agree how samples will be taken, sealed and retained, which laboratory will assay them and how conflicting results will be resolved. Define whether invoiced weight is wet or dry, and how moisture affects settlement. Use factory verification to check the producer's processing and sampling arrangements.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 100 tonnes of copper ore in bulk bags under 2603 00 00 00, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £6,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £46,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £46,000, so it is £9,200. 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

Assay: test representative lot samples independently for copper and agreed impurities; match the results to the shipment's lot identifiers.

Moisture and weight: compare arrival moisture and measured weight with the agreed settlement basis, checking for wet pockets and inconsistent sampling.

Physical condition: check particle size, foreign material, caking, leaking bags and signs of contamination during loading.

Traceability: match bag marks, sampling records, assay certificates and loading records. Plan the checks using the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A supplier's selected sample can overstate the copper content of the delivered lot. Excess moisture makes wet weight misleading, while uneven blending can hide impurity pockets. Tie acceptance and payment to representative sampling and the agreed dry-weight calculation.

An ore description does not settle waste status. Mixed residues or material offered for recovery need careful review before booking transport. The tariff attaches waste controls, so have your customs broker confirm the requirements for the actual material from China.

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.