Sourcing sepiolite granules from China

Duty and the mineral classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2530 covers mineral substances not elsewhere specified or included. Its supplied lines carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measures or suspensions recorded. The residual line 2530 90 70 90 is a candidate for sepiolite granules, subject to confirmation.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches import and export waste controls. Confirm their application with your customs broker, particularly for used or recovered absorbents. For imports into England under waste notification controls, the exporter must apply to the competent authority in the dispatch country for consent. For a shipment from China, this means starting with the authority there.

Give your broker the mineral composition, processing details, additives and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Only the residual line is potentially relevant in the supplied facts, so the table does not add unrelated minerals. See the vermiculite and perlite guide for wider heading context.

Specify absorption, grading and dust

Specify sepiolite content, mineral source, processing, additives, particle size distribution, fines, moisture and loose bulk density. Identify the liquids the buyer will absorb. Agree a repeatable absorption test covering liquid uptake, contact time, drainage and whether results are reported by mass or volume. Retain an approved sample and use the same method for production checks.

Ask for composition and safety information before purchase. Check whether UK REACH registration is required rather than assuming the mineral name settles the question. Great Britain’s classification, labelling and packaging rules apply to importers supplying its market. Confirm the product’s classification and resulting label and packaging position before approving bags.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 10 tonnes of sepiolite absorbent granules in bags under 2530 90 70 90, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £10,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £10,200, so it is £2,040. 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: check the batch analysis, mineral source and declared additives against the purchase specification.

Performance: sieve samples, check moisture and bulk density, and repeat the agreed absorption test with the buyer’s intended liquid.

Dust and handling: compare fines and granule breakdown with the retained sample. Assess and control workplace health risks during bag opening, pouring and clean-up.

Packing and arrival: check bag seams, net contents, batch identification and pallet stability before loading; on arrival, inspect for wet bags, leakage, caking and crushed granules.

What goes wrong

A sample absorbs well but the shipment contains more fines, damp material or a different mineral blend. Granules break down during transport, leaving dust and less usable product. Bags leak at the seams or arrive wet. Test shipment samples against the retained sample before releasing stock.

Absorption claims can be misleading when the factory tests with a different liquid or drainage method. Write the method into the order and request batch results. Keep virgin-material purchases distinct from offers described as used or recovered, and resolve the waste-control position before dispatch.

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.