Sourcing molybdenum products from China

Zero duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, molybdenum powders, unwrought molybdenum including sintered bars and rods, other bars, rods, profiles, plates, sheets, strip and foil, wire, and other molybdenum articles carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Some wire lines are split for consignments from Malaysia; goods shipped from China use the other lines.

Molybdenum ores and ferro-molybdenum are in other headings; confirm the commodity code.

Grades and certificates

Specify purity (for example 99.95%), alloy (pure molybdenum, TZM or lanthanated), density, grain structure, dimensions and tolerances, and surface finish. Ask for a mill certificate with chemical analysis per lot, and test the first shipment independently.

End uses

Molybdenum is used for furnace parts, electrodes, sputtering targets and electronics. Parts for high-temperature use need density and oxygen content controlled; ask about sintering and working route. Powders need a UK REACH position at one tonne a year or more. For tantalum powder qualification, see our tantalum sourcing guide.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 500 kg of molybdenum sheet, commodity code 8102 95 00 00, bought for £30,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance, so £30,800 is the value customs works from. No duty is due on molybdenum sheet; import VAT at 20% of £30,800 is £6,160. If you are VAT-registered, that VAT is normally reclaimable. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

Inspection checklist

Chemistry: molybdenum content and trace elements on each lot by ICP analysis, oxygen and carbon by combustion and inert gas fusion analysis, and for high-purity grades glow discharge mass spectrometry at an independent lab on the first deliveries, all against the grade ordered.

Mill products: sheet, plate and foil checked against ASTM B386 and bar, rod and wire against ASTM B387 where those are the ordered specifications, with thickness and flatness measured across the sheet, bend tests on strip from each batch, and surface inspection for cracks and laminations.

Sintered parts and packing: density of sintered bars and parts measured by the method of ISO 3369, dimensions checked against the drawing, and packing checked for vacuum or inert gas sealing, desiccant and rigid support before the crates are closed.

What goes wrong

Molybdenum fails through brittleness, oxidation and purity. Sheet and rod that are not worked and annealed correctly crack when bent or machined, sintered parts below the specified density are porous and fail at temperature, and surfaces oxidise to a blue or grey film when stored or shipped without protection. Purity below the certificate shows as higher oxygen or iron and shortens furnace life.

Ask for chemistry and density per lot, bend-test a strip from each sheet batch, check thickness across the sheet and flatness, inspect the surface for cracks, laminations and oxidation, and specify vacuum or inert-gas packing with desiccant. Test the first delivery independently for purity.

Inspection

At inspection, measure dimensions, check surface defects and cracks, verify weights, and check that packing prevents oxidation and bending.

Cambridge China Bridge sources molybdenum powder, bars, sheet, wire and parts, with grades, certificates and testing settled before the order. See how our sourcing service works.

Related guides: Gold powder, wire and sheet from China. For antimony procurement, see our antimony ingot sourcing guide. For titanium procurement, see our titanium products sourcing guide.