Sourcing rough quartzite blocks from China

Zero duty on rough quartzite blocks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 6 October 2026, heading 2506 covers quartz other than natural sands and quartzite, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut into rectangular blocks or slabs. Rough quartzite blocks fall under 2506 20 00 00. The block forms in the table share this single commodity line.

The supplied tariff record lists 0% duty for goods from China, no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension. It attaches import and export waste controls. Confirm their application with your customs broker. If a China-to-England consignment is waste subject to notification controls, shipment can start only after consent from the Environment Agency and the other competent authorities involved.

Give your broker the stone identity, photographs and details of trimming or cutting to confirm the commodity code. For the wider heading, see quartz and quartzite. The hypothetical order values are illustrative, rather than a supplier quotation; see UK import duty and VAT for the calculation.

Specify the quarry bed and usable block

Specify natural quartzite, the quarry and bed, colour range, grain direction and intended cutting use. Agree minimum usable dimensions, acceptable shape, maximum permitted cracks and chipped corners, and whether any resin repair is acceptable. Keep an approved sample and photographs from the same bed.

Ask for stone identification and property reports tied to the supplied quarry bed, including density, absorption and strength where relevant to the intended use. Agree a trial cut to assess internal flaws and usable yield. Cutting stone can generate silica dust; HSE guidance advises effective water suppression to reduce dust emissions.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 25 tonnes of rough quartzite blocks, illustrative only under 2506 20 00 00, invoiced at £11,000 free on board, with £2,400 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £13,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £13,400, so it is £2,680. 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: match each block's identifier to the quarry bed, approved colour range, photographs and packing list.

Usable dimensions: measure the sound cutting envelope, rather than projecting corners, and compare it with the agreed dimensions and grain direction.

Cracks and repairs: inspect accessible faces dry and wet for open fissures, chipped edges, iron staining and resin repairs; photograph discrepancies before cutting.

Packing: check supports, separation, restraint and arrival damage before unloading. For solid wood packaging, check conformity with the international wood-packaging standard and a legible certification mark.

What goes wrong

A sample can conceal variation across a quarry bed. Blocks may match the surface colour yet reveal internal fissures, unwanted veins or staining after sawing. Oversized corners can also disguise a small usable cutting envelope. Agree acceptance by usable stone and permitted defects, rather than gross dimensions alone.

Loose restraint or uneven supports can cause movement and corner damage. Record the loaded arrangement and compare it with arrival photographs. Keep block identities through trial cutting so a poor yield can be traced to its source. Use factory verification to check the supplier's quarry links and processing capability.

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.