Sourcing refined lead ingots from China
Unwrought lead from China, including refined lead ingots, lead-antimony and lead-calcium alloys for batteries, and bullion lead for refining, pays 0% UK duty on all five lines of heading 7801, with no anti-dumping duty. Buyers check purity, alloy chemistry and ingot weight, and users must control workplace exposure under the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002.
Refined lead, lead alloys and bullion lead ingots from China pay 0% UK duty. Purity, antimony and calcium alloys, and lead handling rules explained.
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 7801 covers unwrought lead. All five leaves, refined lead (7801 10 00 00), lead containing antimony as the principal other element for refining (7801 91 00 10) or other (7801 91 00 90), and other lead for refining (7801 99 10 00) or other (7801 99 90 00), carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure, no registration and no suspension.
Lead-acid batteries are covered separately, and primary cells in our primary batteries guide; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refined lead | 7801 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Antimonial lead for refining (bullion, 0.02% silver or more) | 7801 91 00 10 | 0% | None |
| Other antimonial lead | 7801 91 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Other lead for refining (bullion) | 7801 99 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Other unwrought lead (such as lead-calcium alloys) | 7801 99 90 00 | 0% | None |
Lead handling and product rules
The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 place duties on employers whose work exposes employees to lead; where the risk assessment shows significant exposure, regulation 9 requires air monitoring at least every 3 months. Entry 63 of Annex XVII to UK REACH also bans lead at 0.05% or more in any part of jewellery, so lead supplied for consumer articles needs care.
Lead is a substance under UK REACH, so importers of one tonne or more a year need a registration position, and the safety data sheet follows the retained CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.
Specifying lead
Specify refined lead purity or alloy grade, limits for bismuth, copper, silver, antimony, arsenic and tin, calcium and aluminium for lead-calcium alloys, ingot weight and shape, bundle strapping, and the brand and lot marking on each ingot.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 100 tonnes of 99.97% refined lead ingots, commodity code 7801 10 00 00, bought for £180,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance, so £184,000 is the value customs works from. No duty is due on refined lead; import VAT at 20% of £184,000 is £36,800. If you are VAT-registered, that VAT is normally reclaimable. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.
Inspection checklist
Chemistry: check the certificate for each lot, and verify a sample by spark or ICP analysis in an independent laboratory.
Ingots: check weight, dross and surface oxide, and brand marks.
Bundles: check strapping, counts and lot labels.
What goes wrong
Lead orders fail on chemistry and weight. Bismuth or copper exceed the grade, alloy additions are out of range for the battery maker, ingots carry dross, and bundle weights differ from the packing list.
Test samples before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources refined lead and lead alloys for UK battery, cable sheathing and radiation shielding makers, checking the smelter's lab first. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on refined lead from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, refined lead under 7801 10 00 00 carried 0% from China.
Which code are lead-calcium alloys?
Other unwrought lead that is not antimonial or for refining is 7801 99 90 00.
Are there workplace rules for lead?
Yes. The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 apply where work exposes employees to lead.
What fails most often?
Impurities above the grade, alloy additions out of range and dross on ingots.