Sourcing marble and travertine blocks from China
Marble and travertine from China, crude or roughly trimmed blocks and blocks or slabs merely sawn to a rectangular shape, and alabaster and other calcareous building stone, pay 0% UK duty on all three lines of heading 2515, with no anti-dumping duty. Polished, edged or worked stone is a different heading. Buyers check block soundness, colour, veining and dimensions.
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, heading 2515 covers marble, travertine, ecaussine and other calcareous monumental or building stone, and alabaster, crude, roughly trimmed or merely cut into rectangular blocks or slabs. All three lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. The tariff also attaches a waste import control; new material clears on a declaration that it is not waste under the retained waste shipments regulation.
Polished slabs, tiles and worked stone are heading 6802, covered in our marble and granite guide, and granite blocks in our granite and sandstone blocks guide; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble and travertine, crude or roughly trimmed | 2515 11 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Marble and travertine, merely cut into blocks or slabs of rectangular shape | 2515 12 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Ecaussine and other calcareous monumental or building stone; alabaster | 2515 20 00 00 | 0% | None |
Specifying blocks and slabs
Specify the stone name and quarry, colour and veining range with reference photographs, block dimensions or slab thickness and tolerance, and limits on fissures, holes, stains and resin filling. For travertine, agree whether it is filled or unfilled.
Ask for technical data such as water absorption, density and flexural strength where the stone will be used outdoors or in load-bearing work.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 40 tonnes of sawn marble blocks for a UK stone mason under 2515 12 00 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £5,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £21,200, so it is £4,240. 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
Soundness: inspect each block wet for cracks and fissures, and tap for hollow sounds.
Appearance: compare colour and veining with the reference photographs and mark blocks by number.
Loading: check blocks are chocked and lashed in the container or on the flat rack. See our quality inspection guide.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
Block orders fail on soundness, colour and handling. Hidden fissures split blocks when sawn, colour differs from the photographs, and unsecured blocks shift and damage the container.
Cambridge China Bridge sources stone for UK masons and fabricators, with blocks inspected and photographed before loading. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on marble blocks from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, all three lines of heading 2515 carried 0% from China.
Are polished marble slabs in heading 2515?
No. Heading 2515 is crude or merely sawn stone; polished and worked stone is heading 6802.
How do I check blocks before shipping?
Inspect each block wet for cracks and fissures, compare colour with reference photos and number the blocks.
Should travertine be filled?
It depends on the use; agree filled or unfilled in the contract.