Sourcing doped lithium tantalate from China

Zero duty on doped lithium tantalate wafers

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 3818 covers chemical elements doped for electronics in discs, wafers or similar forms, and chemical compounds doped for electronics. Doped lithium tantalate wafers within this description fall under the other-compounds line, 3818 00 90 00.

The supplied tariff extract records 0% duty for goods from China under this line, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure, suspension or attached import control listed. Only this line is relevant to the focused table; the other supplied lines cover doped silicon.

Include the commodity code on the import declaration. Confirm the material is doped for electronics and describe any coatings or further processing when checking the commodity code. For the wider heading, see the doped gallium arsenide wafer guide.

Dopant, crystal cut and polished surfaces

Specify lithium tantalate as the substrate, the dopant identity and concentration tolerance, crystal cut and orientation, diameter, thickness and thickness variation. Define the orientation mark, edge finish, polished faces, surface roughness and acceptance criteria for bow, scratches and chips. Ask for batch evidence tied to the delivered wafers rather than a generic material sheet.

Confirm whether the imported material is a substance or an article for UK REACH. Substance imports reaching 1 tonne per year can trigger registration responsibilities; substances intended to be released from articles may also require registration. Obtain the composition and intended-use information needed to assess the actual supply.

If supplied as articles containing a UK REACH Candidate List substance above 0.1% by weight, business recipients must receive sufficient safe-use information, including the substance name. Check the dopant and any coatings against this condition before sale.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 600 doped lithium tantalate wafers; illustrative order and values only under 3818 00 90 00, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £32,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £32,500, so it is £6,500. 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

Identity: match wafer carrier labels, batch identifiers and analysis reports to the ordered substrate and dopant.

Crystal and geometry: check cut, orientation marks, diameter, thickness variation and bow against the agreed drawing and measurement method.

Surface: examine polished faces and edges for scratches, chips, cracks, residue and contamination before releasing the batch to production.

Packing: check individual separation, carrier restraint and cleanliness; photograph damage on arrival and retain batch records. Agree the sampling scope using the inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A quotation that says only lithium tantalate wafers leaves the dopant, crystal cut and polished faces unresolved. The delivered substrate may then differ from the material used in your process trial. Approve a sample and require the production batch to match its written specification.

Edge chips, scratches, excessive bow and mixed batch labels can make otherwise matching wafers unusable. Compare supplier measurements with your agreed methods, inspect arrival samples before processing and keep damaged carriers separate while the supplier investigates.

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.