Sourcing batteries and button cells from China

Duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, manganese dioxide cylindrical cells, lithium cylindrical cells, lithium button cells and other primary cells and batteries carried 4% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. A 0% suspension on 8506 50 30 00 to the end of 2028 covers only a listed lithium manganese dioxide cell used to make tyre pressure monitoring systems, and two listed lithium-iodine type cells under 8506 50 90 are suspended too; retail button cells stay at 4%.

Rechargeable batteries are a different heading; see the renewable energy guide for storage batteries. For industrial nickel-cadmium batteries, see our industrial NiCd battery sourcing guide.

Mercury, cadmium and labelling

Regulation 4 of the Batteries and Accumulators (Placing on the Market) Regulations 2008 says no person shall place on the market a battery containing more than 0.0005% mercury by weight, or a portable battery containing more than 0.002% cadmium by weight, with exceptions for emergency, alarm and medical uses. Ask the factory for chemical test reports for each cell type.

Batteries carry the separate collection symbol and chemical symbols where required, and the business placing them on the UK market takes on battery producer duties for collection and treatment; plan registration with the WEEE obligations.

Button cell safety

Swallowed button cells cause serious injuries to children, so packaging that is hard for children to open and clear warnings are expected, and products that use button cells should hold them in a secure compartment. Put the packaging design and warnings in the product specification.

Lithium cells ship as dangerous goods, so ask for the UN 38.3 test summary and plan the freight mode before booking.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 500,000 AA alkaline cells, commodity code 8506 10 11 00, bought for £50,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance, so £53,000 is the value customs works from. Duty at the 4% rate for alkaline cells is £2,120. VAT at 20% applies to £55,120, so £11,024. A VAT-registered buyer usually recovers the VAT, so the border adds £2,120 to the landed cost. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

Spread over 500,000 cells, the duty is under half a penny a cell; the larger ongoing cost is the battery producer obligation that comes with placing them on the UK market.

Inspection checklist

Performance: cells checked against the dimensions and designations of BS EN IEC 60086-2, discharge-tested on samples from each lot under the application tests that match the buyer's devices, open-circuit voltage and date code recorded on every sampled pack, and a sample of each lot stored warm and rechecked for leakage and voltage drop.

Safety and chemistry: lithium cells supplied with a BS EN IEC 60086-4 safety report and a UN 38.3 test summary, alkaline cells with a BS EN IEC 60086-5 report, and mercury and cadmium content tested by the methods of the IEC 62321 series against the limits in the Batteries and Accumulators (Placing on the Market) Regulations 2008.

Packs and marking: button cell packs tested for child resistance by the method the buyer specifies, such as EN 862 for non-reclosable packs, the swallowing warning and keep-away symbol checked, and every pack checked for the crossed-out wheeled bin, chemical symbols, capacity where required and the brand the buyer owns.

What goes wrong

Primary batteries fail on capacity, leakage and marking. Cells deliver less than the claimed capacity under real loads, shelf life is short because the cells were old when packed, and alkaline cells leak in storage or in devices. Packs carry another company's brand, lack the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol or chemical symbols the battery regulations require, and lithium button cells arrive in packaging a child can open.

Discharge-test samples from each lot at the loads your customers use, check the date code and open-circuit voltage, store samples warm and check for leakage, check markings against the battery regulations and the packaging against button cell safety expectations, and ship lithium cells as dangerous goods under the correct UN number and packing instruction.

Capacity and shelf life

Capacity and shelf life are the claims customers test. Ask for discharge test data at stated loads, and date codes on each pack, and check them on samples at inspection.

Cambridge China Bridge sources own-label alkaline, lithium and button cell batteries, with chemical tests, labelling, packaging and producer duties planned before production. See how our sourcing service works.

For lithium cells, battery packs and storage batteries, see Lithium batteries and battery packs from China.