Sourcing electrolytic iron ingots from China

Duty depends on confirming the ingot classification

Heading 7206 covers iron and non-alloy steel in ingots or other primary forms, excluding iron of heading 7203. HMRC includes ingots cast from molten metal into open metallic moulds. Ask the supplier whether the product is an electrolytic deposit or has subsequently been remelted and cast. For very pure material, specifically ask your broker to check the excluded heading before accepting the supplier's code.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 16 November 2026, the supplied tariff record gives 0% duty for Chinese-origin ingots under 7206 10 00 00. It records no steel measure, anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for this line. Import VAT is normally 20%. Only the ingot line is shown here because the other supplied line covers other primary forms.

Confirm the commodity code using the composition, manufacturing route and supplied form. See the wider steel ingots and primary forms guide. For imports from 1 January 2027, also check exposure to the UK carbon border adjustment mechanism through our UK carbon border guide.

Specify impurity limits and the casting route

Specify the intended melting or laboratory use, minimum iron content, individual limits for carbon, sulphur, phosphorus, silicon and relevant trace metals, and whether oxygen and nitrogen results are needed. Ask whether the reported iron content is measured directly or calculated by difference. Agree test methods and reporting limits with the laboratory rather than accepting an unexplained purity description.

Define ingot dimensions, permissible variation in piece mass, surface condition and acceptable cracking or cavities. Ask whether electrolytic material is remelted, what crucible or mould contacts it, and how batches remain separate. Request a batch analysis certificate and retain an agreed reference sample.

For Great Britain, check your UK REACH registration position before ordering. Registration is per substance and per legal entity. Identify the importing business and the substance being supplied when obtaining advice.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 1 tonne of electrolytic iron ingots, classification confirmed; illustrative order under 7206 10 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £20,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £20,000, so it is £4,000. 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 package markings, batch references and analysis certificates to the purchase order; photograph the opened packages and retain labelled samples.

Chemistry: independently test representative material against the agreed impurity limits; check that the laboratory can measure below those limits.

Condition: inspect for rust, moisture, oil, loose deposits, foreign metal and damaged packing; compare cracks and cavities with the agreed acceptance criteria.

Size and mass: measure ingots and check net delivered mass against the packing list; confirm that pieces fit the buyer's charging or sample-preparation equipment.

What goes wrong

A supplier's electrolytic iron description can conceal a change in supplied form or a subsequent remelting process. Resolve classification before dispatch, and agree whether substitution between deposits and cast ingots is acceptable. A headline purity figure also leaves uncertainty if the certificate omits impurities that matter to your process.

Mixed batches, surface contamination and certificates that cannot be tied to the delivered metal make acceptance difficult. Agree independent sampling and a rejection procedure before payment, then compare the delivered batch with the retained reference sample. Our inspection guide explains how to organise 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.