Sourcing tantalum wire from China

Tantalum wire: 0% UK duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 8103 covers tantalum and its articles, including waste and scrap. Tantalum wire falls within 8103 99 10 00, alongside worked bars, rods, profiles and flat products. The wire forms in the table share this commodity line.

The supplied tariff record lists 0% duty for goods from China, no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. It attaches import and export waste controls. Waste shipment controls apply only when the material is waste. For wire from China, ask your customs broker to confirm the attached import control against the goods' condition and intended use.

Confirm the form and composition using finding your commodity code. For wider heading coverage, see tantalum rods. Import VAT is normally 20%; see UK import duty and VAT.

Specify chemistry, temper and winding

State whether you want pure tantalum or an alloy, the agreed chemistry and impurity limits, diameter tolerance, roundness and annealed or hard-drawn condition. Specify coils or straight lengths, usable length, permitted joins and surface cleanliness. For coils, agree spool dimensions, winding direction and how the free end is secured.

Ask for a batch certificate covering composition and the mechanical properties you need for forming or welding. Agree a sample trial in your process before accepting production material. Assess the UK REACH position with a specialist: registration covers substances and, in limited cases, substances in articles.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 kg of tantalum wire; FOB value and freight are hypothetical under 8103 99 10 00, invoiced at £2,000 free on board, with £200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,200, so it is £440. 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

Chemistry: match each spool or bundle to its batch certificate and arrange independent composition testing against the purchase specification.

Diameter and condition: measure along sampled lengths and around the wire; check roundness, straightness where ordered, and agreed mechanical properties.

Surface and winding: inspect for scratches, drawing marks, cracks, residue, kinks and crossed turns; check that wire pays off without snagging.

Quantity and packing: verify net wire weight, agreed length, batch labels and protected ends. Inspect spool damage and packing cleanliness using an agreed inspection plan.

What goes wrong

Wire can match the nominal diameter yet fail during forming because its temper differs from the order. Surface damage, excessive diameter variation and poorly wound coils can cause breakage or interrupt feeding. A certificate without a matching batch identity does not establish what is on the spool.

Agree acceptance checks before ordering and retain a labelled sample from each batch. Keep disputed spools separate while checking certificates and test results. If a supplier offers scrap or recovered wire, have your broker confirm waste status and the applicable shipment controls before dispatch.

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.