Sourcing Polysilicon from China

Polysilicon duty and commodity code

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2804 covers hydrogen, rare gases and other non-metals. Polysilicon containing at least 99.99% silicon by weight falls within 2804 61 00 00. Its recorded Chinese-origin duty is 0%, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table distinguishes product forms sharing this commodity line.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. For a shipment from China to England that is waste subject to notification controls, the exporter must apply to the competent authority in the country of dispatch for consent. Confirm the waste classification and remaining requirements with your customs broker before shipment, including any proposed return shipment.

Confirm the assay, material form and intended use when finding your commodity code. See the industrial gases and silicon guide for the wider heading. The duty-free customs purity threshold is not a specification for solar or electronic performance.

Specify purity beyond the headline assay

State whether you need solar-grade or electronic-grade feedstock, chunks or granules, the accepted size distribution and fines limit. Agree individual limits for boron, phosphorus, metals, carbon and oxygen where relevant to your process. Ask for batch analysis with test methods and detection limits, plus a separately agreed check for surface contamination.

Agree sampling, clean handling, sealed inner packing and batch identification before ordering. For Great Britain, confirm the UK REACH registration position with HSE using your planned annual import volume. Registration is per substance and legal entity. Chemical suppliers, including importers, are responsible for hazard classification; obtain the supplier's classification evidence for the supplied form.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative trial order: 25 kg of solar-grade polysilicon chunks under 2804 61 00 00, invoiced at £2,000 free on board, with £300 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,300. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,300, so it is £460. 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

Identity: match the producer, batch references, packing list and analysis certificate to the delivered material.

Impurities: test representative samples against the agreed individual impurity limits, using methods sensitive enough for the intended process.

Size: check chunk or granule distribution, fines and foreign particles against the purchase specification.

Packing: check seals, inner liners, moisture, handling contamination and net weight; agree sampling through your inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A headline purity result can hide an impurity that disrupts crystal growth or electrical performance. A generic certificate may cover a different batch, while a test method may be unable to measure the buyer's impurity limit. Keep approval tied to the actual batch and agreed analytical method.

Broken liners, dirty handling tools and mixing lots can compromise otherwise acceptable material. Excess fines can make the delivered size distribution unsuitable for the feeding process. Agree how suspect packs are isolated, independently tested and accepted or rejected before paying the balance.

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.