Sourcing lead ores from China

Duty and waste controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, heading 2607 covers lead ores and concentrates. Its sole commodity line, 2607 00 00 00, carries 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied data records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table contains the sole supplied line.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. For material from China, ask your customs broker to confirm waste status and the applicable import requirements before shipment. Waste shipped under notification controls cannot move until the destination, dispatch and transit authorities have consented. The attached export control concerns outward shipments; confirm its requirements with your broker if re-export is planned.

Give your broker the material's origin, production process, assay and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Ask HSE or your customs broker to confirm whether natural ores and concentrates that are not chemically modified qualify for a UK REACH registration exemption. Document the producer's processing method before relying on an exemption.

Specify lead content on a dry basis

State whether you want mined ore or beneficiated concentrate and identify the intended receiving process. Agree lead content on a dry basis, moisture, particle size and limits for arsenic, cadmium, mercury, zinc and sulphur. Record silver content separately if it affects settlement.

Agree how the lot will be sampled, who prepares and tests the sample, and how a disputed assay will be resolved. Ask for retained sealed samples and traceable lot records. HSE advises employers to consult an appointed doctor about medical surveillance appropriate to their work activities and workplace.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative trial consignment of bagged lead concentrate for a specialist buyer under 2607 00 00 00, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £6,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £46,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £46,000, so it is £9,200. 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

Assay: compare an independent representative sample with the agreed lead content and impurity limits.

Moisture: test separately from the chemical assay and reconcile wet weight with the agreed dry-weight settlement method.

Packing: check bag seams, liners, leakage and lot identification before unloading.

Traceability: match bag markings, weighing records and laboratory reports to the consignment. Use the inspection guide to plan checks.

What goes wrong

A selected sample can conceal variation across a lot. Excess moisture reduces the dry material received, while unexpected arsenic or other impurities can make a concentrate unsuitable for the intended processor. Agree representative sampling and the receiving processor's acceptance criteria before ordering.

An unresolved waste classification can disrupt shipment planning even when the tariff duty is zero. Send the production history and material description to your broker early, and keep the assay, lot records and agreed specification together.

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.