Sourcing tin ores and concentrates from China

Tin ore duty and waste controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 18 November 2026, heading 2609 covers tin ores and concentrates. Its single commodity line, 2609 00 00 00, carries 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. Only that single line is shown in the table.

The tariff attaches an import waste control and also lists an export waste control. For a shipment from China, ask your customs broker to confirm the import requirement against the material's origin, processing history and waste status. For waste entering England under notification controls, shipment can begin after consent from the Environment Agency and the other competent authorities involved.

Give your broker the assay, processing description and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Ask HSE or your customs broker to confirm whether ores and concentrates that occur in nature and are not chemically modified qualify for a UK REACH registration exemption. Check the position separately for material whose processing changes its chemistry.

Specify tin content and settlement basis

State whether you want ore or concentrate, the intended smelting process, tin content on a dry basis, moisture limit and particle size distribution. Agree limits for arsenic, lead, sulphur and other impurities with the receiving smelter.

Write down how the consignment will be sampled, which laboratory will assay it and how disputed results will be resolved. Agree whether settlement uses dry weight and the measured tin content. Ask for the mine or processing site's identity and the beneficiation process; use factory verification to check the supplier's actual operation.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative trial consignment of low-grade tin ore in bulk bags under 2609 00 00 00, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £6,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £46,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £46,000, so it is £9,200. 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

Assay: take representative samples across the lot and compare independent tin and impurity results with the agreed specification.

Moisture and weight: measure moisture separately and reconcile arrival weights with the agreed dry-weight settlement basis.

Consistency: check particle sizes, visible foreign material and differences between bags or loading batches.

Packing: inspect bags, liners, closures and batch identification for leakage or mixing; arrange checks through the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A selected sample can overstate the tin content of the delivered lot. Uneven blending, excessive moisture and unagreed impurities can change the usable yield or the smelter's acceptance. Keep sealed reference samples and agree the sampling and settlement method before ordering.

A description such as mineral concentrate does not settle the waste-control question. Ask for processing records and confirm the tariff's attached control with your customs broker before loading. Keep material identity consistent across the contract, assay and shipping documents.

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.