Sourcing natural graphite from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 2504 covers natural graphite. Both lines, in powder or in flakes (2504 10 00 00) and other (2504 90 00 00), carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure and no suspension.

Artificial graphite and expandable graphite are heading 3801 (see our artificial and expandable graphite guide), and graphite electrodes 8545 (see our graphite electrodes guide); confirm the commodity code.

Chemical rules

Graphite is a substance under UK REACH, but naturally occurring graphite that is not chemically modified is exempt from registration; otherwise, importers of one tonne or more a year need a registration position unless another exemption applies. Any required safety data sheet follows UK REACH, while classification and labelling follow the retained CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008. Fine powders need dust control in handling.

China's export licence for flake graphite

Since 1 December 2023, under MOFCOM and GACC Announcement No. 39 of 2023, natural flake graphite and its products, including spheroidised and expanded graphite, may not be exported from China without a dual-use export licence. The announcement's reference Chinese customs codes include 2504101000 and 2504109100, the Chinese lines for flake graphite. Amorphous graphite is not named in it.

The exporter applies through its provincial commerce department with the contract, a technical description or test report, end-user and end-use certificates, and a description of the importer and end user. For a UK buyer of flake grades, that means providing an end-use statement, allowing time for the licence before the shipping date, and asking the supplier to confirm which grade it is licensing.

Specifying graphite

Specify type (flake or amorphous), fixed carbon content, mesh or particle size distribution, moisture, ash and volatile matter, sulphur and iron limits, for battery grades spheroidised size and purity, and packing in lined bags.

Worked duty example

Take a hypothetical order of 20 tonnes of 94% carbon natural flake graphite, entered under 2504 10 00 00: £21,000 free on board plus £2,000 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £23,000. Flake graphite carry no duty, so import VAT of 20% on £23,000, £4,600, is the only tax. A VAT-registered importer normally reclaims it, so the border adds no lasting cost. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.

Inspection checklist

Analysis: check fixed carbon, ash, moisture and particle size on the certificate, and verify a sample in an independent laboratory.

Contamination: check for foreign matter and mixing of grades between bags.

Packing: check bag integrity, weight and lot marking.

What goes wrong

Graphite orders fail on carbon content, size and contamination. Fixed carbon is below the grade, flake size is smaller than specified, moisture is high, and different lots are mixed.

Test samples before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources natural graphite for UK refractory, lubricant and foundry buyers, checking the processor's grading and lab first. See factory verification.