Sourcing supported platinum catalysts from China
Supported platinum catalysts from China carry 6% base UK duty, with qualifying listed products suspended to 0%. Match the complete composition and any authorised-use conditions before claiming relief. Specify platinum assay, support and activity before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources supported platinum catalysts.
UK duty and conditional suspensions
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 platinum catalysts fall within the precious-metal supported catalyst lines. The table separates product forms sharing the other-catalysts code; it does not create separate tariff subheadings.
The relevant lines carry 6% base duty from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty recorded. The other-catalysts line includes conditional 0% suspensions, including listed platinum catalyst-coated membranes and authorised-use descriptions. The supplied suspension wording is partly truncated: confirm the complete description and any customs supervision before claiming relief.
The UK Trade Tariff attaches import and export waste controls to these lines. For spent catalysts or material supplied for metal recovery from China, ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable requirement before shipment. Waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. Confirm composition, support, form and intended use through finding your commodity code. See the related supported palladium catalysts guide for the wider heading.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listed platinum catalyst for xylene isomerisation | 3815 12 00 40 | 6% | None |
| Other supported platinum catalysts on carbon | 3815 12 00 90 | 6% | None |
Specify platinum loading, support and activity
Specify platinum loading on an agreed dry or as-supplied basis, the support material, moisture, shape, particle-size distribution, surface area, pore volume and crush strength where relevant. State whether the catalyst is fresh or regenerated. Agree sampling, an independent platinum assay and how disagreements will be resolved.
For powders, agree the supplied wet or dry condition and handling instructions. For pellets, agree fines and attrition acceptance criteria. For coated membranes, specify the membrane material, coating coverage and platinum loading. Test activity under your intended reaction conditions rather than accepting metal content alone.
Check UK REACH obligations for the constituent substances, and confirm the applicable annual import thresholds with HSE. Request an English safety data sheet and the applicable hazard information. Agree spent-catalyst handling before purchase. Use factory verification to check the manufacturer's testing capability.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: supported platinum catalyst on alumina, without suspension relief 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: check batch identity, platinum loading and the moisture basis against the agreed independent test method.
Support: check particle size, surface area and pore volume; inspect pellets for breakage and fines or membranes for coating defects.
Activity: test a representative retained sample under the agreed reaction conditions and compare it with the approved sample.
Arrival: check container seals, leakage, supplied wet or dry condition, batch labels and safety data sheets. Record discrepancies using the quality inspection guide.
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What goes wrong
A platinum assay can appear acceptable while activity fails because the support or preparation differs from the approved sample. Wet-basis and dry-basis results can also create an apparent loading discrepancy. Weak pellets arrive as fines, coating is uneven, or regenerated material is supplied as fresh.
Do not accept a supplier's claim that all platinum catalysts are duty-free. A shared commodity code does not establish suspension eligibility. Keep the agreed specification, assay method, retained sample and batch records together so that performance and customs questions can be investigated.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on supported platinum catalysts from China?
The relevant lines carry 6% base duty. Qualifying listed products can receive 0% suspension relief, subject to the full description and any authorised-use conditions. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty is recorded.
Are all platinum-on-carbon catalysts duty-free?
Do not assume so. The supplied suspension wording is incomplete. Have your broker match the complete current description against the catalyst's composition, support and form before claiming relief.
How should I check platinum loading?
Agree sampling and an independent assay method before ordering. Compare results on the same moisture basis, then check activity separately under your intended reaction conditions.
Can I import spent platinum catalysts from China?
The tariff attaches waste controls. Confirm waste status and the applicable shipment requirements with your broker before ordering; this guide does not establish permission for a particular waste shipment.