Sourcing Gilsonite from China

Gilsonite duty and waste controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 2714 covers natural bitumen and asphalt, bituminous or oil-shale and tar sands, asphaltites and asphaltic rocks. For unmixed Gilsonite, check the other-goods line, 2714 90 00 00. The table shows different physical forms under the same commodity line. For the wider heading, see our natural bitumen guide.

The supplied tariff record shows 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension listed. It attaches waste import and export controls. Ask your customs broker to confirm their application to your consignment. For waste imported into England under notification controls, the exporter must apply to the competent authority in the dispatch country for consent.

Give your broker the composition, processing history, physical form and intended use, then confirm the commodity code. Identify any added binder, solvent or filler before using the code for unmixed Gilsonite.

Specify Gilsonite against your formulation

Specify natural asphaltite identity, extraction origin, processing history and whether the material contains additives. Ask the Chinese supplier to identify the producer and distinguish mining, grinding and repacking operations. Agree softening point, ash, moisture, particle-size distribution and solubility in your chosen solvent, with test methods and acceptance criteria.

Trial a representative sample in your intended binder or coating formulation. Keep an approved sample and require a batch certificate of analysis. Before a first import, assess whether UK REACH registration is required and request evidence supporting any claimed exemption. Substances supplied in Great Britain must be classified and labelled under its classification, labelling and packaging regulation. A hazardous chemical supplied for workplace use requires a safety data sheet.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of unmixed Gilsonite powder in bags under 2714 90 00 00, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £25,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £25,800, so it is £5,160. 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 producer, extraction origin, processing description and batch references to the approved sample and order.

Analysis: check softening point, ash and moisture against agreed limits; independently test a representative batch sample.

Powder: check sieve results, lumps, foreign matter and dispersion in your formulation, including on arrival.

Packing: check bag seals, liners, leakage and moisture damage; match batch marks, weights and safety information to the documents.

What goes wrong

A matching colour can hide a different material or an undeclared blend. Excess ash leaves unwanted residue; coarse particles disperse poorly; moisture and caking make dosing uneven. A batch with a different softening point can behave differently in the buyer's binder or coating.

Compare production samples with the retained sample before shipment and inspect the delivered material before releasing it to production. Agree how disputed lots will be sampled and tested. Use our quality inspection guide to prepare the inspection brief.

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.