Sourcing tin-nickel ingots from China

Duty on tin-nickel master alloy ingots

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 7 October 2026, heading 8001 covers unwrought tin. Its tin-alloy line, 8001 20 00 00, carries 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control.

For this guide, the relevant line is unwrought tin alloys. Give your customs broker the full composition and confirmation that the goods are cast ingots. Confirm the commodity code before ordering rather than relying on the supplier's product name.

For related material within the heading, see the tin-copper master alloy ingots guide. The supplied tariff file contains only one line relevant to this product family. For the tax calculation, see UK import duty and VAT.

Specify nickel content and batch consistency

Specify the target nickel content and tolerance, tin balance, permitted impurities, ingot dimensions and weight, and the intended remelting process. Agree limits for lead, copper, iron and other unwanted elements with your production team. Request a certificate of analysis tied to each melt batch, with the sampling and analytical methods stated.

Before ordering, review UK REACH registration for the supplied substances and your business: registration is per substance and legal entity. For supply in Great Britain, substances and mixtures must be correctly labelled and packaged. A safety data sheet is required when a chemical is hazardous and supplied for use at work.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 3 tonnes of tin-nickel master alloy ingots; values are illustrative under 8001 20 00 00, invoiced at £108,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £109,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £109,500, so it is £21,900. 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

Composition: compare independent laboratory results with the agreed nickel range, tin balance and impurity limits; use samples representing the batch.

Traceability: match ingot or bundle identification to the melt batch, certificate of analysis and packing list.

Condition: inspect for excessive surface oxide, adhering slag, foreign material and wet or damaged packaging.

Handling: check ingot dimensions, net weight and bundle security against the purchase specification and your charging equipment.

What goes wrong

A certificate showing only nominal nickel content leaves the buyer unable to assess batch variation. Mixed melt batches, contamination and unrepresentative sampling can also conceal differences between the approved sample and delivered ingots.

Agree the sampling plan and acceptance criteria before production. Keep a retained sample linked to the batch, and trial the material in your own process before accepting repeat supply. Use the quality inspection guide to brief the inspection.

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.