Sourcing fused quartz crucibles from China

Duty and classification

Heading 7020 covers other articles of glass. For industrial fused quartz or fused silica crucibles not covered elsewhere, the relevant candidate is 7020 00 10 90. Laboratory glassware has its own heading, so the material alone does not settle classification. The table shows product variants sharing the same commodity line.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, all supplied heading 7020 lines carried 0% duty for goods from China. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension is recorded. The crucible candidate line carries import and export controls on cat and dog fur. Imports and exports of that fur and products made from it are banned; confirm the declaration requirement with your customs broker.

Give your broker the material description, drawing and intended use before confirming the commodity code. For related furnace articles within the wider heading, see fused quartz furnace boats.

Crucible purity, geometry and furnace fit

Specify fused quartz or fused silica, purity, metallic impurities, hydroxyl content and the permitted bubbles and inclusions. Ask for a material certificate linked to the production lot. Define internal and external dimensions, height, wall and base thickness, rim finish, base profile and lid fit on an agreed drawing.

Describe the charge material, furnace atmosphere, support arrangement and heating and cooling cycle. Agree a sample trial using your intended process before approving production. Record acceptance criteria for cracking, distortion and contamination, and agree individual protection for the rim and base.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 100 industrial fused quartz crucibles under 7020 00 10 90, invoiced at £15,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £16,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £16,200, so it is £3,240. 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

Material: match lot certificates to the order and check impurity and hydroxyl results against the agreed specification.

Geometry: measure the opening, height, wall and base thickness, and check seating and lid fit against the drawing.

Condition: inspect the rim, base and walls for chips, cracks, bubbles and inclusions; trial samples through the agreed thermal cycle.

Packing: check individual separation and rim protection, inspect unpacked samples after a carton drop test, and record arrival damage. Agree these checks in the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A generic purity claim can hide impurities that affect the process. A crucible that matches the outer dimensions can still have an unsuitable wall profile or seat poorly on its support. Samples should demonstrate fit and performance with your charge and furnace cycle.

Chipped rims and cracks can be missed while goods remain wrapped. Unpack and inspect on arrival, retain lot identification and isolate damaged pieces. Feed the findings into the next packing specification and sample approval.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.