Sourcing tantalum bolts from China

Zero duty for tantalum bolts

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 8103 covers tantalum and its articles, including waste and scrap. Finished tantalum bolts are candidates for 8103 99 90 00, the other-articles line. The table also shows manufacturing feedstock and scrap, which are different goods from finished bolts.

All listed lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. It attaches import and export waste controls to every line. Official guidance says waste shipment controls apply only to waste. For a shipment from China, ask your customs broker to confirm the attached import requirement, particularly for discarded or mixed scrap.

Confirm the composition, finished condition and commodity code before declaring the goods. Import VAT is normally 20%; see UK import duty and VAT. For related tantalum products, see the tantalum tubes guide.

Specify the material and the threaded joint

State whether the bolts are unalloyed tantalum or a tantalum alloy, with agreed chemistry and interstitial limits. Give the thread system, diameter, pitch, tolerance, threaded length, overall length, head form and bearing-face dimensions. Send a controlled drawing and identify the mating nut or tapped component.

Describe the process fluid, operating temperature and intended joint loading for engineering review. Agree surface finish, cleanliness, any coating or lubricant, and the acceptance tests before ordering. Ask for material certificates linked to the bolt batch and an approved sample tested in the intended mating component.

HSE says UK REACH registration applies to substances and, in limited cases, substances in articles. Ask for the material and coating composition so your compliance adviser can assess the finished bolts rather than treating a raw-metal certificate as a complete assessment.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 100 large custom tantalum bolts for process equipment; illustrative order only under 8103 99 90 00, invoiced at £45,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £45,900. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £45,900, so it is £9,180. 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

Material: match batch references to the mill certificate and agreed chemistry; arrange independent analysis where the application warrants it.

Threads: check pitch, fit and threaded length with the agreed gauges and mating component; inspect thread roots for burrs, tearing and incomplete machining.

Head and shank: measure drawing dimensions, inspect the head-to-shank transition and bearing face, and check for cracks, tool marks and bent shanks.

Packing: check that threads are protected, sizes and batches remain separated, and bolt labels match the packing list and certificates. Use an agreed inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A bolt can match the nominal diameter yet fail because its pitch, thread tolerance or usable threaded length differs from the drawing. Burrs and damaged threads obstruct assembly. A certificate without a link to the delivered batch leaves material identity unresolved.

Do not accept a generic corrosion claim as approval for your process conditions. Have the responsible engineer approve the material and joint design, and agree how failed samples or mixed batches will be handled before production.

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.