Sourcing synthetic iron oxide flakes from China

4% duty on synthetic micaceous iron oxide powder

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2821 covers iron oxides and hydroxides and qualifying earth colours. Synthetic micaceous iron oxide powder falls within the iron oxides line, 2821 10 00 00, carrying 4% duty from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table shows powder grades sharing this tariff line.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches import and export waste controls to this line. For material supplied as waste from China, confirm the applicable procedure with your customs broker and the competent authorities before shipment. Waste shipped under notification controls needs consent from the dispatch, destination and transit authorities. Confirm any export restriction separately before arranging a return shipment.

Confirm synthetic manufacture, composition and supplied form through the commodity code guide. Natural micaceous iron oxide is covered separately under heading 2530 in our published background; dispersions and preparations with binders may fall in chapter 32. See the wider iron oxide pigments guide.

Specify the flakes and the coating formulation

Specify synthetic micaceous iron oxide rather than a colour description alone. Ask for the manufacturing route, iron oxide content, impurity profile and any surface treatment or added material. Agree flake morphology, particle-size distribution, sieve residue, moisture, water-soluble matter and oil absorption, with test methods and acceptance limits written into the purchase specification.

Approve a retained powder sample and a coating drawdown made with your intended binder. Compare dispersion, settling, film texture and application behaviour. Ask the factory to show microscopy images of the approved grade and each production lot; colour alone cannot establish whether the particles have the agreed flake shape.

Check your UK REACH position, particularly if annual imports exceed one tonne. Registration is per substance and per legal entity. In Great Britain, chemical classification and labelling must be carried out by someone scientifically competent. Request composition data and the safety data sheet for that review before approving the order.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 tonnes of synthetic micaceous iron oxide powder; illustrative order and values under 2821 10 00 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £2,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £18,200. Duty at 4% is £728. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £18,928, so it is £3,785.60. Import taxes total £4,513.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £728 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match bag labels, lot numbers and certificates of analysis to the agreed synthetic grade; check declared additives against the purchase specification.

Flakes and grading: compare microscopy images with the approved sample, check particle-size distribution and sieve residue, and sample across bags rather than relying on a factory display sample.

Coating behaviour: repeat the agreed binder drawdown and compare dispersion, settling, texture and oil absorption with the retained master.

Arrival condition: check bag seals, moisture, caking, powder leakage and net weights; retain traceable samples before releasing the lot. Agree the scope through our inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A supplier can match the powder colour while delivering particles with a different shape or grading. Excess fines can alter binder demand, coarse particles can leave a rough film, and moisture can cause caking. A batch certificate reporting iron content alone does not establish suitability for your coating.

Natural material, added fillers or an undisclosed surface treatment can change the agreed product. Compare incoming lots with retained samples and trial them in your formulation before routine use. Treat a ready paint or binder-containing preparation as a separate sourcing and classification exercise.

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.