Sourcing rough-sawn quartzite slabs from China

Duty and classification of rough-sawn slabs

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 6 October 2026, natural quartzite under 2506 20 00 00 carried 0% duty from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension listed. Heading 2506 covers quartz and quartzite, including quartzite roughly trimmed or merely cut into rectangular or square blocks or slabs. The table contains the only commodity line relevant to this slab guide.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. Environment Agency guidance for England says waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. For slabs shipped from China, establish their waste status rather than assuming the tariff flag requires consent for every consignment. The importer should confirm the applicable requirement with their customs broker before shipping, particularly for discarded slabs or mixed stone residues.

Confirm the commodity code using the material identity, photographs, shape and processing description. Further working, such as polishing or edging, can move stone to heading 6802, as explained in the site's existing stone guide. For the wider product family, see rough quartzite blocks.

Specify the quarry, sawn face and usable yield

Specify natural quartzite, quarry and bed identity, colour range, vein direction and the intended processing route. Approve representative slab photographs and a physical sample from the proposed supply. Describe the face as rough-sawn and ask the supplier to disclose resin filling, mesh backing or other treatments before accepting the specification.

Agree thickness tolerances, flatness, squareness, minimum usable dimensions and how chipped edges or open cracks affect acceptance. Ask for stone identification and relevant strength, absorption and frost-resistance reports from the same quarry bed where these properties matter to the intended use. Plan wet cutting and extraction at the UK processor because cutting silica-bearing stone releases respirable crystalline silica.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 25 tonnes of rough-sawn quartzite slabs 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 quarry and bundle records to the approved material; compare colour and veining across the shipment.

Dimensions: measure thickness across sampled slabs, check bow and squareness, and record usable dimensions after damaged margins are excluded.

Faces and edges: inspect accessible faces dry and wet for cracks, iron staining, chips, repairs and backing; photograph defects against bundle identifiers.

Packing: inspect supports, separators, edge protection and restraint before loading. Solid wood packaging used for imports into Great Britain must meet the applicable requirements; obtain compliance evidence. On arrival, photograph shifted bundles and breakage before unpacking.

What goes wrong

A small sample can hide the colour spread across a quarry bed. Open veins, concealed repairs and thin areas reduce the usable yield after processing. Buying only by gross slab area leaves the buyer exposed when edge damage or cracks remove material from the intended cutting layout.

Weak supports and poor restraint let slabs move and crack in transit. Agree defect acceptance and measurement methods before ordering, retain the approved sample, and arrange a pre-shipment inspection that records slab condition and packing.

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.