Iron oxide pigments from China

4% on iron oxides and earth colours

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, iron oxides and hydroxides, including synthetic red, yellow, black and brown pigments and magnetite, and earth colours containing 70% or more of combined iron evaluated as Fe2O3, carried 4% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.

Natural iron oxides and micaceous iron oxide are in heading 2530, and dispersions, granules with binders and ready colour preparations for paints or concrete may fall in chapter 32, so the form decides the code. Our pigments guide covers titanium dioxide and other colours. Confirm the commodity code.

Grades and standards

Iron oxide pigments are specified by ISO 1248 for type, iron oxide content and test methods, and pigments for colouring concrete, mortar and other cement or lime-based building materials by BS EN 12878, which sets limits such as water-soluble matter and effects on setting and strength. Order by shade against a master sample, with tinting strength, oil absorption and particle size as the tolerances that matter most.

Cosmetic grades are the colourants CI 77491, CI 77492 and CI 77499 permitted under the retained Cosmetic Products Regulation 1223/2009, which needs heavy metal purity data; food grade is the additive E 172, whose purity specification is in the GB Register of Food Additive Authorisations. An importer of more than one tonne a year should check UK REACH registration; see our UK REACH guide.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 20 tonnes of red iron oxide pigment for concrete, commodity code 2821 10 00 00, bought for £16,000 free on board, with £2,200 of freight and insurance, so £18,200 is the value customs works from. Duty at the 4% rate for iron oxide pigments is £728. VAT at 20% applies to £18,928, so £3,785.60. A VAT-registered buyer usually recovers the VAT, so the border adds £728 to the landed cost. Pigment already dispersed in a liquid or granulated with binders for dosing into concrete may be a preparation of chapter 32 instead, so check the form before declaring. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

What goes wrong

Iron oxide lots vary in shade from the approved master, so a paving batch or a paint colour no longer matches earlier deliveries. Tinting strength falls because the pigment has been cut with fillers, coarse particles leave streaks, water-soluble salts cause efflorescence on concrete, and cosmetic or food grades arrive with heavy metal results the factory cannot support.

Compare each lot's shade and tinting strength with the master sample by the ISO 787-25 method, measure oil absorption to ISO 787-5, residue on sieve to ISO 787-7, water-soluble matter to ISO 787-3 and pH of an aqueous suspension to ISO 787-9, test concrete grades against BS EN 12878, and test cosmetic or food grades for lead, arsenic and mercury at an accredited laboratory.

Cambridge China Bridge sources iron oxide pigments for concrete products, paints, plastics and cosmetics, with a shade master and lot testing agreed before the first order. See our service for smaller orders.