Sourcing magnesium sputtering targets from China

Zero duty, with classification checks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 8104 covers magnesium and its articles, including waste and scrap. All supplied lines carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty. The other-articles line is a candidate for machined magnesium targets. The table also identifies unwrought feedstock and scrap relevant to target manufacture and recovery; these are different goods.

The high-purity unwrought line has a zero-rate suspension that excludes mixtures, preparations and products made up of different components containing the material. No suspension or import control is listed for the other-articles line. The scrap line carries import and export waste controls. For spent targets from China, confirm the applicable requirement with your customs broker. Where notification controls apply to shipments into England, consent from the destination, dispatch and transit authorities is required before shipment.

Give your broker the composition, manufacturing route, drawing and details of any backing plate or bond. Do not assume that an assembled target shares the classification of loose magnesium. Confirm the commodity code. For wider magnesium products, see magnesium alloy sheet.

Purity, cathode fit and backing bonds

Specify elemental magnesium or the exact alloy composition, with agreed limits for metallic impurities and oxygen. Ask how purity is measured and whether the reported result excludes gaseous impurities. Set the target drawing, diameter or outline, thickness, flatness, mounting features and sputtering-face finish against your cathode. State whether you need an unbonded target or an assembly with a named backing material and bonding method.

Request batch-linked analysis, dimensional results and, for bonded targets, evidence of bond coverage against agreed acceptance criteria. Agree packing that protects the sputtering face and keeps moisture away. Approve a sample in your deposition process before accepting repeat production.

For Great Britain supply, review whether UK REACH registration applies before importing a substance you have not previously imported. Classification and labelling of substances or mixtures must be performed by someone with scientific competence. A safety data sheet is required when a hazardous chemical is supplied for workplace use. Ask for a product-specific assessment rather than treating customs classification as the chemical compliance decision.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 20 machined magnesium sputtering targets; values are illustrative under 8104 90 00 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,300. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,300, so it is £660. 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

Composition: match the target batch to its analysis report and check the agreed impurity limits and test method.

Fit: measure the outline, thickness, flatness and mounting features against the approved cathode drawing.

Face and bond: inspect for oxidation, scratches, chips and embedded contamination; review bond inspection results where a backing plate is supplied.

Packing and identity: check dry, intact wrapping, protected edges and batch identification before opening. Record acceptance through quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A purity headline can conceal a different analytical basis or missing impurity results. A target can meet the nominal diameter yet fail to seat because its recess, edge profile or flatness is wrong. Surface oxidation and machining residue can interfere with process start-up; gaps in a backing bond can impair heat transfer.

Resolve these issues through an approved drawing, batch-specific test evidence and a deposition trial. Keep rejected targets apart from accepted stock, preserve their packaging and record the defect before agreeing rework or replacement.

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.