Sourcing transparent iron oxide from China

4% duty on transparent pigment powders

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2821 covers iron oxides and hydroxides and qualifying earth colours. Transparent iron oxide and hydroxide powders use 2821 10 00 00, carrying 4% duty from China. No anti-dumping or countervailing measure or suspension is recorded. The table distinguishes product variants sharing this code; they are not separate tariff lines.

The tariff attaches waste import and export controls. For imports to England under waste notification controls, the exporter must apply to the competent authority in the dispatch country for consent. If material from China is supplied as recovered residue or waste, confirm the applicable requirements with your customs broker before shipment.

A liquid dispersion or preparation containing binders may fall in chapter 32. Confirm the commodity code using the composition and supplied form. Our wider iron oxide pigments guide covers the rest of the heading.

Specify transparency in the finished coating

Specify powder or dispersion, red or yellow shade, intended resin system, surface treatment and any additives. Agree transparency, haze, tinting strength and colour against an approved drawdown. Use the same pigment loading, substrate, film thickness and curing conditions for approval and batch comparison. For wood coatings, judge whether the grain remains visible rather than accepting a powder colour sample alone.

Ask for particle-size information, oil absorption, moisture results and the dispersion method used for the sample. Check the UK REACH registration position for your annual imports and confirm the applicable threshold with HSE; see our UK REACH guide. Suppliers must ensure substances and mixtures are correctly labelled and packaged before they are placed on the Great Britain market.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative pallet order of transparent red iron oxide powder for a coatings business 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

Transparency: prepare a drawdown in the agreed resin and compare haze, substrate visibility and colour with the retained master.

Dispersion: check for specks, grit, streaks and settling after the agreed mixing process; compare tinting strength and viscosity with the approved sample.

Batch identity: match bag markings, batch certificates, pigment identity and declared surface treatment; retain a sample from each supplied lot.

Packing: check seals, liners, moisture ingress, caking and net weight on arrival; keep damaged bags separate for assessment.

What goes wrong

A pigment can match the dry powder shade but produce a cloudy film. Poor dispersion leaves agglomerates and specks; an unagreed surface treatment changes wetting or viscosity. A sample dispersed in the supplier's resin may behave differently in yours. Approve a trial in your production formulation and repeat that comparison on arrival.

Ordering a ready dispersion against a powder specification can change both performance and tariff classification. Record the carrier, pigment content and additives in the purchase specification. Ask for testing and certification support when the factory's batch results cannot be checked against the agreed methods.

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.