Sourcing sintered nickel filter discs from China

Duty and waste controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 7508 covers other articles of nickel. Its other-articles line, 7508 90 00 00, is the candidate shown for these discs. The table describes variants under that same line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

The supplied tariff record shows 0% duty for goods from China, no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension. It attaches import and export waste controls to this line. Environment Agency guidance for England says waste shipment controls apply only if the material is waste. For discarded or contaminated discs from China, confirm the applicable requirements with your customs broker before shipping.

Confirm the commodity code using the composition, manufacturing method, drawing and intended function. Ask the broker to check the classification of the actual component before using the table. For the wider heading, see nickel fibre felt.

Specify the pores and sealing face

Specify nickel composition, powder-sintered construction, outside diameter, thickness, flatness, edge profile and any central opening. Identify the working fluid, temperature, pressure differential, required flow and cleaning method. State whether the disc seals directly against a housing or uses a separate gasket.

Define the filtration rating and its test method. Agree permeability or flow testing at a stated pressure differential, with the test fluid identified. If using bubble-point testing, agree the wetting liquid and acceptance criteria. A nominal pore description alone is insufficient for comparing suppliers.

Ask for batch-linked composition and performance reports, and approve a sample in your own housing. HSE says UK REACH registration applies to substances and, in certain limited cases, substances in articles; review the supplied article and any treatments accordingly. Use factory verification to check the supplier's sintering and testing capability.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 1,000 replacement sintered nickel filter discs under 7508 90 00 00, invoiced at £36,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £36,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £36,800, so it is £7,360. 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

Material: compare sampled composition results with the ordered nickel specification and match reports to the production batch.

Fit: measure diameter, thickness, flatness and sealing features against the drawing; trial-fit samples in the intended housing.

Performance: compare flow, pressure-drop and agreed pore-test results using the same test conditions as the approved sample.

Cleanliness and packing: check for loose particles, blocked pores, cracks, chipped edges and residues; inspect separators and batch labels.

What goes wrong

Discs can match the drawing yet restrict flow because their pore structure differs from the approved sample. Warped sealing faces allow bypass, chipped edges shed particles, and residual processing material obstructs pores. Reports without batch identification make these differences harder to investigate.

Agree measurable acceptance criteria before production and compare shipment samples with the approved disc under matching conditions. Keep suspect batches separate until the discrepancy is resolved. See the quality inspection guide.

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.