Sourcing precipitated calcium carbonate from China

Calcium carbonate: 4% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 6 November 2026, calcium carbonate under 2836 50 00 00 carried 4% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension listed. Heading 2836 covers carbonates and peroxocarbonates. The table shows applications sharing the calcium carbonate code, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. For a shipment from China, confirm the import requirement with your customs broker before dispatch. Waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste; establish the shipment's status rather than assuming that every bag of precipitated calcium carbonate is waste.

Ground natural chalk and limestone belong to chapter 25. Give your broker the manufacturing process, composition and any surface treatment to confirm the commodity code. See soda ash and carbonates for the wider heading.

Specify particle size and surface treatment

State the intended use: paper, plastics, coatings or food. Specify precipitated material, the particle-size distribution and measurement method, particle shape, whiteness, moisture, assay and relevant impurity limits. Agree whether the powder is uncoated or surface-treated, identify the treatment and retain an approved sample for comparison.

Ask for a certificate of analysis tied to each production batch and trial the material in your own formulation. Confirm your UK REACH responsibilities with HSE before importing. For food use, confirm the applicable food-additive purity criteria with the relevant food authority; an industrial-grade certificate is insufficient evidence of food grade.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of speciality precipitated calcium carbonate under 2836 50 00 00, invoiced at £22,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £24,500. Duty at 4% is £980. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £25,480, so it is £5,096. Import taxes total £6,076; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £980 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match bag labels, batch references and certificates to the ordered precipitated grade and surface treatment.

Particles: independently check the agreed distribution and test dispersion in the intended formulation against the approved sample.

Chemistry: compare assay, moisture, iron and relevant heavy-metal results with the contractual limits and declared grade.

Packing: inspect liners, seals and pallets for tears, dampness and contamination; record bag weights and keep batch samples.

What goes wrong

A powder can match the assay yet perform differently because its particle distribution, shape or surface treatment has changed. Look for poor dispersion, coarse particles and changes in the finished product during the formulation trial. Agree how a failed batch will be isolated and investigated before ordering.

Damp or damaged bags can leave agglomerated or contaminated powder. Mixed batch references make test results difficult to trace, while a generic certificate can conceal a grade substitution. Compare arrival samples with the approved material before releasing the delivery to production.

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.