Sourcing supported rhodium catalysts from China

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. Supported catalysts with rhodium as the active precious metal fit the description of 3815 12 00 90, subject to checking the complete formulation. The table shows different support materials within that same commodity line.

The base duty for goods from China is 6%, with no anti-dumping measure recorded. The line lists 0% autonomous and authorised-use suspensions for specified products. Its supplied suspension descriptions are incomplete, so budget at 6% unless eligibility is confirmed. The tariff also attaches waste import and export controls. Confirm their relevance with your customs broker, particularly for spent catalysts.

Provide the composition, support, physical form and intended use when confirming the commodity code. For wider precious-metal catalyst coverage, see the supported palladium catalysts guide.

Specify rhodium loading and the support

Specify the rhodium content on a dry basis, its chemical form, the support material, moisture or wetting liquid, particle size, surface area and pore volume. For shaped catalysts, agree crush strength and attrition limits. State whether the material must be fresh or may be regenerated. Agree sampling and an independent metal assay before ordering.

Test an approved sample under your reaction conditions, checking activity, selectivity and separation from the product. Agree the certificate of analysis and retained samples for production batches. Suppliers in the chemical supply chain must ensure correct labels and packaging before placing substances or mixtures on the market in Great Britain. Hazardous chemicals supplied for workplace use need a safety data sheet.

Confirm applicable UK REACH responsibilities and registration thresholds with HSE before ordering. Registration is assessed per substance and legal entity. For a China shipment of waste subject to notification controls, the exporter must apply to the competent authority in the dispatch country for consent. Confirm waste status and the full import procedure with your broker before shipment.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 5 kg pilot batch of rhodium on carbon (illustrative) under 3815 12 00 90, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £2,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £26,200. Duty at 6% is £1,572. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £27,772, so it is £5,554.40. Import taxes total £7,126.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,572 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Assay: check batch identity, rhodium loading and the moisture correction against the agreed independent assay.

Support: check particle size, surface area and pore volume; inspect shaped material for breakage and fines.

Activity: compare the batch sample with the approved catalyst under the agreed reaction conditions.

Packaging: check seals, leakage, batch labels and the safety data sheet; verify storage instructions before acceptance.

What goes wrong

A wet-basis assay can make rhodium loading look different from the agreed dry-basis result. A changed support or inconsistent metal distribution can reduce activity despite an acceptable total metal assay. Weak pellets create fines, while regenerated material supplied as fresh may behave differently in the process.

Record disagreements in sampling, assay and performance before using the batch. Keep a sealed retained sample and agree how rejected material and recoverable rhodium will be handled. Use a written inspection brief that separates composition checks from reaction performance.

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.