Sourcing silicon wafers from China
Chemical elements doped for use in electronics from China, including thin doped silicon wafers for solar cells, pay 0% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. Buyers increasingly need traceability of the polysilicon behind the wafer for supply chain due diligence. Cambridge China Bridge sources silicon wafers.
Doped silicon wafers for solar cells and electronics and other doped elements pay 0% UK duty from China. Specs, supply chain and a worked example.
Zero duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, doped silicon wafers up to 200 micrometres thick, other doped silicon and other doped chemical elements and compounds of heading 3818 carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Undoped silicon is in heading 2804, covered in the silicon guide, finished solar cells and panels in 8541 and processed wafers with circuits in 8542; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doped silicon wafers up to 200 µm, rectangular | 3818 00 11 00 | 0% | None |
| Other doped silicon | 3818 00 19 00 | 0% | None |
| Other doped elements and compounds | 3818 00 90 00 | 0% | None |
Specification and supply chain
Specify dopant type (p-type or n-type), resistivity range, minority carrier lifetime, thickness and total thickness variation, dimensions and chamfers, crystal orientation, and surface condition. Wafer dimensions and tolerances are commonly referenced to SEMI standards, so name the ones that apply.
Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires larger businesses to publish a statement on steps taken against slavery in their supply chains, and solar buyers now routinely ask for polysilicon origin and chain of custody documents. Ask for them before placing the order, not after shipment.
Worked duty example
Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 500,000 doped monocrystalline solar wafers under 3818 00 11 00. At £90,000 free on board and £2,500 to ship and insure, the customs value is £92,500. With 0% duty on doped silicon wafers, the only charge is import VAT: 20% of £92,500, or £18,500. VAT-registered businesses usually recover that in their next return. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.
What goes wrong
Wafers fail on cracks, specification drift and handling. Microcracks from sawing or packing break wafers in the cell line, thickness and resistivity drift outside the ordered range between lots, and contamination or saw marks reduce cell efficiency. Wafers packed without enough cushioning or with humidity exposure arrive broken or stained.
Ask for lot data on resistivity, lifetime, thickness and variation, inspect samples for microcracks and saw marks, check a sample of each lot on arrival before release to production, confirm packaging and humidity control, and keep the polysilicon traceability documents with each lot.
Cambridge China Bridge sources solar and electronic grade silicon wafers, with specifications, lot data and traceability agreed before the order. See how we source semiconductor materials.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on silicon wafers from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, doped silicon wafers of heading 3818 carried 0% duty from China.
Where does undoped silicon go?
Undoped silicon is in heading 2804; solar cells and panels are in 8541.
Why do buyers ask for polysilicon origin?
For supply chain due diligence, including the Modern Slavery Act 2015 section 54 statement.
What causes wafer breakage?
Microcracks from sawing or handling and poor packing; inspect samples from each lot.