Sourcing iron oxide rouge from China

UK duty on iron oxide polishing rouge powder

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2821 covers iron oxides and hydroxides and qualifying earth colours. Iron oxide polishing rouge powder is relevant to 2821 10 00 00. Both supplied heading lines carry 4% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measures or suspensions shown.

This guide covers loose iron oxide powder. Ask for the composition and physical form before confirming the commodity code, particularly if the supplier offers a wax-bound bar or blended polishing preparation. For the wider heading, see iron oxide pigments.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches import and export waste controls. If a supplier offers spent polishing powder or material described as waste, confirm the requirements for the China shipment with your customs broker. For notified waste entering England, shipment can start after consent from the Environment Agency and the other competent authorities involved. Do not treat a waste consignment as ordinary new powder.

Specify fineness and polishing performance

Specify iron oxide content, declared additives, particle size distribution, coarse-particle residue, moisture and how readily the powder disperses in your polishing carrier. Name the metal or glass, polishing equipment and required finish. Agree test methods and acceptance criteria against a retained sample. Red colour alone does not establish polishing performance.

Check your UK REACH registration position, particularly if annual imports exceed one tonne. Chemicals supplied in Great Britain must be labelled and packaged correctly before sale. A safety data sheet is required when a hazardous chemical is supplied for workplace use. Ask for the supplier's hazard assessment and batch analysis before approving the order.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of iron oxide polishing rouge powder for wholesale stock under 2821 10 00 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £2,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £18,200. Duty at 4% is £728. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £18,928, so it is £3,785.60. Import taxes total £4,513.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £728 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the batch certificate, declared composition and retained sample; investigate undeclared fillers or other abrasives.

Fineness: check particle size and coarse residue using the agreed methods; examine lumps for hard grit rather than relying on colour.

Polishing trial: use the agreed workpiece, carrier and equipment; compare scratches, haze, residue removal and finish with the approved sample.

Packing: check sealed liners, moisture, leakage, net weight and batch identification; match the product labels and safety information to the supplied grade.

What goes wrong

Coarse particles or contamination can scratch a surface that should receive its final polish. Damp powder forms lumps, while a changed particle distribution or undeclared filler can alter polishing behaviour even when the colour matches. Retain arrival samples and hold any suspect batch pending a polishing trial.

A factory may substitute ordinary pigment powder for the approved polishing grade. Compare production material with the accepted sample on your actual workpiece, rather than accepting a colour comparison or generic analysis certificate. Agree these checks in 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.