Sourcing spodumene concentrate from China

Duty and waste status

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2530 covers mineral substances not elsewhere specified or included. Spodumene suitable for lithium extraction is listed under 2530 90 40 00, carrying 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied snapshot records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. Only this commodity line is relevant to the concentrate covered here.

The snapshot attaches import and export waste controls. Waste shipment controls apply only if the material is waste. For a China-to-England import subject to notification controls, the exporter must apply to the dispatch country's competent authority for consent; shipment can begin after consent from the Environment Agency and the other authorities involved. The importer needs the relevant waste licence and the recovery facility an appropriate permit or exemption. Confirm the applicable control with your customs broker before shipment.

Give your broker the mineral identity, extraction purpose and processing history to confirm the commodity code. Do not classify solely from the supplier's description of the goods as lithium material. For the wider heading, see the natural strontianite guide.

Specify lithium assay and moisture separately

Specify lithium content expressed as lithium oxide, the dry-basis assay, moisture determination method, particle-size distribution and agreed limits for iron, mica and other unwanted minerals. Ask whether the concentrate has been chemically treated or blended. Record the mine source and concentrating plant, and approve a representative sample from the proposed shipment rather than a selected handful.

Agree how increments will be taken across the lot, who prepares the composite sample, and how sealed retained samples will resolve a disputed assay. State whether the order quantity and acceptance assessment use wet or dry mass. Request the processing history and check your UK REACH position before supply; HSE says obligations depend on your supply-chain role and use of the substance.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 25 tonnes of spodumene concentrate in bulk bags, illustrative only under 2530 90 40 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 the mine, concentrating plant, lot identifiers and analysis certificate to the shipment; investigate any unexplained blending or change of source.

Assay: independently test a representative composite sample for lithium content and agreed impurities, using the same reporting basis as the purchase specification.

Moisture and grading: measure moisture separately and sieve against the agreed particle-size distribution; check for excess fines, lumps and foreign material.

Packing and handling: check bag seams, liners, closures and lot markings before loading and on arrival. Assess exposure during opening, sampling and tipping; workplace law requires control of processes that may harm workers' health.

What goes wrong

A selected sample can conceal uneven concentrate or dilution with unwanted minerals. Wet-mass figures can make the delivered lithium content appear better than it is, while excessive fines create handling losses. Compare arrival results with the sealed retained sample before accepting a disputed batch.

Torn liners, wet bags and missing lot identifiers make reconciliation difficult. A description such as recovered concentrate also leaves waste status unresolved. Establish the material's history before shipping rather than relying on its sale value or the supplier's product label.

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.