Sourcing chromium oxide green from China

Prepared chromium oxide green: 6% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 3206 covers other colouring matter and specified preparations. Prepared chromium oxide green belongs within the other chromium-based pigments and preparations line, 3206 20 00 90, subject to confirmation of its composition. The application rows use the same commodity line; they are not separate tariff categories.

The supplied tariff record shows 6% duty for Chinese-origin goods under this line, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. It attaches an import waste control, plus export controls for waste and dangerous chemicals. Ask your customs broker to confirm their application. For waste imports into England under notification controls, shipment can begin only after consent from the Environment Agency and the other competent authorities involved.

Give your broker the full composition, preparation method, physical form and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Do not classify a finished paint solely from its green pigment. See the wider pigments guide for the rest of the heading.

Specify the green pigment and its preparation

State that you want a prepared chromium oxide green pigment and identify every carrier, filler and dispersing additive. Do not accept chrome green as a complete specification. Agree pigment content, moisture, particle size, shade, tinting strength and oil absorption against a retained sample. Describe the binder or material in which the pigment will be used.

Approve a trial in your actual coating, plastic, mortar or ceramic process. Agree the mixing procedure and acceptance criteria before production. A neat powder comparison does not establish dispersion or colour in the finished material. For ceramics, compare the fired result using your intended glaze and firing conditions.

For Great Britain, confirm with HSE the UK REACH registration requirements and coverage for each substance at your planned annual import quantities. Confirm classification, labelling and packaging under the GB chemical rules, and obtain an English safety data sheet where required. Check the actual ingredients against the HSE dangerous-chemical list before any onward export: substances not listed have no PIC notification obligations.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of prepared chromium oxide green pigment; FOB and freight values are hypothetical. under 3206 20 00 90, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £32,000. Duty at 6% is £1,920. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £33,920, so it is £6,784. Import taxes total £8,704; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,920 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the formulation, supplier grade and batch identification to the purchase order and batch certificate of analysis.

Colour and strength: compare a retained batch sample with the approved reference in the agreed application; check both full shade and tinting strength.

Dispersion: use the agreed mixing procedure and check for specks, agglomerates, settling or uneven colour; compare moisture and particle-size results with the specification.

Packing and documents: inspect liners, seals and bags for damage or dampness, check sampled net weights, and reconcile batch labels with the analysis and safety documents.

What goes wrong

A supplier can match the visible powder shade while changing pigment content or the carrier. The material then gives weaker colour or needs a different dosage. Agglomerates can leave specks in coatings, while damp packaging causes caking. Keep the approved formulation and reference sample, and compare production batches using the same application procedure.

A generic safety document may describe the pigment rather than the preparation being supplied. Resolve ingredient and document mismatches before shipment. Hold arrival stock that fails identity, colour or dispersion checks until the supplier has explained the difference and you have assessed its effect on your process.

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.