Sourcing POM plastic scrap from China

0% duty on POM plastic scrap

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 9 October 2026, heading 3915 covers waste, parings and scrap of plastics. POM scrap falls within the other-plastics line, 3915 90 70 00, carrying 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for this line. The table shows different scrap forms sharing this code.

Waste-shipment rules still apply. For recovery in England, green-list controls under Article 18 require the plastic to meet Basel code B3011. For mixed or contaminated plastic waste, confirm with the relevant waste regulators whether prior notification and consent are required. Before booking a shipment from China, confirm the waste classification and procedure with the receiving recycler, customs broker and relevant regulators. For a green-list import into England, the importer must arrange a written contract with the exporter before shipment.

Confirm the commodity code using the material's identity, form and waste status. Recycled pellets that are no longer waste are classified as primary plastics rather than scrap. See the wider plastic scrap guide for the other polymers covered by this heading.

Specifying POM scrap for your process

Specify polyoxymethylene, also called polyacetal, and identify homopolymer or copolymer where known. Ask for the original resin grade, production source and whether the lot contains filled or unfilled material. Keep moulding runners, machining offcuts and discarded finished parts separately described.

Agree colour, particle size, moisture, melt flow, contamination limits and sampling method. State whether lubricated or reinforced grades are acceptable. Request representative samples from the actual lot and trial them in your process before approving the shipment.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 tonnes of sorted POM moulding scrap, illustrative only under 3915 90 70 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £11,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £11,000, so it is £2,200. 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

Identity: sample across the load and verify the polymer against the agreed POM grade rather than relying on colour or the supplier's description.

Condition: check for mixed polymers, metal inserts, oil, dirt, excessive fines and damp material against the agreed limits.

Consistency: compare sampled bags for colour, particle size, melt flow and filler content; keep reference samples linked to the lot.

Documents: match the lot, weight and receiving facility to the shipment paperwork. For green-list shipments, the Annex VII document must be completed, signed and travel with the waste.

What goes wrong

A lot described simply as POM regrind can combine different resin grades, filled mouldings and oily machining waste. A clean sample from the top of a bag may hide different material underneath. Sample the actual load before dispatch and agree how rejected material will be handled.

A missing tariff control does not settle the waste procedure. Confirm it before loading and use the quality inspection guide to brief the inspection. When passing scrap to another business in England or Wales, check that the recipient is authorised to take the waste.

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.