Sourcing platinum and palladium from China

0% duty and the waste control

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, heading 7110 covers platinum, unwrought or in semi-manufactured forms, or in powder form, with separate lines for palladium, rhodium, and iridium, osmium and ruthenium. All nine lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.

The heading also carries a waste import control. New metal clears on a declaration that the products are not waste under the retained waste shipments regulation; if the material is scrap or sweepings, it needs the waste shipment documents instead. Scrap and waste of precious metals have their own heading, so confirm the commodity code.

Purity, assay and hallmarking

Specify the metal and fineness, the form and dimensions (grain, wire gauge, sheet thickness, powder particle size), and for alloys the alloy composition. Ask for an assay certificate per lot and agree an independent assay for disputes.

Semi-manufactured metal is not hallmarked, but finished platinum or palladium articles sold in the UK as those metals must be hallmarked under the Hallmarking Act 1973, subject to its weight exemptions, so the fineness you buy decides which standard the finished work can meet. See our jewellery guide.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 500 grams of platinum wire for a UK jewellery workshop under 7110 19 10 00, invoiced at £14,000 free on board, with £150 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £14,150. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £14,150, so it is £2,830. 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: check the certificate and have samples assayed independently for high-value lots.

Weight and form: weigh on calibrated scales and check dimensions and packaging seals.

Shipping: use a secure precious metals carrier with insurance and a documented chain of custody. See our quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

Precious metal orders fail on fineness, weight and custody. Fineness is below the certificate, weights are short, and uninsured or poorly documented shipments are lost or disputed.

Cambridge China Bridge sources precious metal semi-manufactures for UK jewellers and laboratories with assay and secure shipping agreed before payment. See factory verification.