Sourcing fused quartz wafer carriers from China

Duty and classification by intended use

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, the relevant heading 7020 lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The heading covers other articles of glass. Quartz holders designed for semiconductor diffusion and oxidation furnaces are described under 7020 00 05 00; other fused quartz or fused silica articles fall under 7020 00 10 90 when appropriate. The table separates carrier uses sharing these codes.

The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing measures and no suspensions for these lines. It attaches cat and dog fur import and export controls to 7020 00 10 90, but lists no controls for 7020 00 05 00. Imports and exports of cat and dog fur and products made from it are banned. For a plain quartz carrier, ask your customs broker to confirm how the attached control is declared.

Confirm the material, drawing and intended furnace use before choosing the commodity code. Do not choose a code solely from the supplier's description of a quartz boat. See the quartz furnace boats guide for the wider heading context.

Specify the wafer contact geometry

Give the factory a drawing showing wafer diameter, carrier orientation, slot count, pitch, groove width and depth, contact surfaces, overall dimensions and support positions. Identify the furnace and loading arrangement. Agree dimensional tolerances and approve a sample using dummy wafers before releasing production.

Specify fused quartz or fused silica grade, metallic impurity limits, hydroxyl content, bubbles and inclusions, surface finish and cleaning method. Ask for batch-linked material evidence and agree a thermal cycle suited to your process. REACH restrictions can concern substances in articles; check the material and any coating against relevant restrictions before supplying the carriers in Great Britain.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 100 fused quartz wafer carriers, illustrative order 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 the batch certificate to the agreed quartz grade, impurity limits and hydroxyl content; inspect bubbles and inclusions against the approved sample.

Geometry: measure slot pitch, groove dimensions, alignment and support positions; check loading and removal with dummy wafers.

Condition: inspect wafer contact edges, welded joints and supports for chips, cracks, roughness and visible residue; assess residual stress and the agreed thermal-cycle results.

Packing: check that each carrier is restrained without pressure on slots or joints, with protective separation and clean inner packing. Use the agreed inspection checklist before dispatch and repeat the condition checks on arrival.

What goes wrong

A carrier can match its overall dimensions while its slots bind wafers or leave them poorly supported. Rough grooves and chipped contact edges can damage wafer edges or shed particles. Check the contact geometry and loading fit rather than accepting an external dimension report alone.

Material substitutions, inclusions and residual stress can undermine furnace performance. Clean carriers can also arrive contaminated by unsuitable packing, while unsupported joints can crack in transit. Keep the approved material specification, cleaning method, sample and packing arrangement linked to the production batch.

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.