Sourcing nickel ores from China

Duty and waste controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 18 November 2026, heading 2604 covers nickel ores and concentrates. The supplied tariff extract contains only the commodity line 2604 00 00 00, so the table has a single entry. Its duty for goods from China is 0%, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension recorded.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. For material from China imported into England under waste notification controls, the exporter must apply to the competent authority in the country of dispatch for consent. Ask your customs broker to confirm the attached control's requirements for the particular material and destination, including any onward export.

Give your broker the mineral description, processing history, assay and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Keep ore and concentrate descriptions precise rather than describing every nickel-bearing material as nickel ore.

Specify nickel content and processing history

Specify whether the material is ore or concentrate and identify its source and processing route. Agree nickel content on a dry basis, moisture, particle size and limits for iron, sulphur, magnesium, silica and other impurities relevant to your process. State the sampling method, assay method and how disagreements between laboratories will be resolved.

Ask HSE or your customs broker to confirm whether natural ores and ore concentrates that are not chemically modified qualify for a UK REACH registration exemption. Ask for the processing history and the supplier's REACH position rather than assuming every processed nickel-bearing material qualifies.

Agree packing suitable for the material, lot identification and documents linking the assay to the shipment. Use factory verification to check the processor's equipment, sampling arrangements and laboratory capability.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative shipment of 100 tonnes of nickel ore concentrate under 2604 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: independently sample the delivered lot and compare nickel content and impurities with the agreed specification.

Moisture: compare measured moisture with the contract and check whether the assay reports dry or wet basis.

Physical condition: check particle size, caking, foreign material and evidence of water entering the packaging.

Traceability: match lot marks, weights, packing records and laboratory reports to the actual consignment. Plan checks using the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A sample can represent a different lot from the shipment, while moisture can make a wet-weight nickel result look inconsistent with a dry-basis specification. Uneven blending, contamination and particle-size drift can also leave the material unsuitable for the buyer's process. Agree representative sampling and keep retained samples.

A description such as recovered nickel material leaves uncertainty about both composition and waste status. Resolve the material description and ask your broker to confirm waste-control requirements before booking freight. Keep the source, processing records and assay 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.