Sourcing supported iridium catalysts from China

Supported iridium catalyst duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 3815 covers reaction initiators, reaction accelerators and catalytic preparations not elsewhere specified or included. Supported catalysts with precious metals as the active substance fall within its precious-metal branch. The table shows product examples sharing the same other precious-metal catalyst line.

For Chinese-origin goods, 3815 12 00 90 records 6% base duty, no anti-dumping or countervailing measure, and conditional 0% suspensions, including authorised-use relief. The supplied suspension descriptions are incomplete and do not establish eligibility for supported iridium catalysts. Budget for 6% until eligibility is confirmed. The line also attaches import and export waste controls.

Send the full composition, support, physical form and fresh or spent status to your broker to confirm the commodity code. For spent material from China, confirm the waste-control requirement before dispatch. For notified waste imported into England, the process starts in the dispatch country. See the supported rhodium catalyst guide for related coverage of the heading.

Specify iridium loading and the support

Specify the iridium metal or compound, loading on a dry basis, support material, moisture or wetting liquid, particle form and size distribution. Agree the assay method, sampling procedure and independent laboratory for disputed results. State whether fresh or regenerated material is acceptable.

Agree surface area, pore volume and, for pellets, crush strength and attrition. Approve a sample through an activity and selectivity trial using your feedstock and operating conditions. Define acceptance against that sample and retain a batch sample.

Before sale in Great Britain, substances and mixtures must be correctly labelled and packaged. Obtain an English safety data sheet and review the hazard information for the actual formulation. For importers reaching one tonne annually of a substance, ask HSE to confirm the applicable UK REACH obligations.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative laboratory trial order: 5 kilograms of supported iridium catalyst under 3815 12 00 90, invoiced at £90,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £92,500. Duty at 6% is £5,550. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £98,050, so it is £19,610. Import taxes total £25,160; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £5,550 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Assay: compare the batch certificate with independent iridium analysis and the agreed dry-basis loading.

Support: check identity, particle distribution, surface area and pellet damage against the approved specification.

Activity: compare conversion and selectivity with the approved sample under the agreed trial conditions.

Packaging: check seals, batch identification, declared wetting liquid and agreement between the labels and safety data sheet.

What goes wrong

A loading figure reported on a wet basis can conceal a dry-basis shortfall. The correct iridium content alone does not establish activity: support properties, contamination and metal dispersion can change performance. Weak pellets produce fines, while substituted or regenerated material may behave differently from the approved sample.

Do not release a disputed batch into production before resolving the assay and activity results. Keep photographs, sealed samples and batch records. A spent-catalyst shipment also needs a separate waste assessment; ask your customs broker to confirm the tariff's attached waste controls before arranging transport.

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.