Sourcing tungsten foil from China

Tungsten foil duty and registration checks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 8101 covers tungsten and its articles, including waste and scrap. Tungsten foil sits within 8101 99 10 00, alongside bars, rods, profiles, plates, sheets and strip. The table shows foil supply forms sharing this commodity line, rather than separate tariff classifications.

The supplied tariff record gives 0% duty for goods from China, with no residual anti-dumping or countervailing duty rate and no suspension listed. It attaches an anti-dumping or countervailing registration control. Confirm its applicability and documentation with your customs broker before shipment. The site's published tungsten guide identifies a consignment-country issue involving Laos and Thailand, so disclose the proposed route.

Confirm the material, form and processing with your broker using finding your commodity code. For related material forms, see tungsten plate sourcing. Import VAT is separate from duty; see UK import duty and VAT.

Specify purity, thickness and foil condition

State tungsten purity, permitted impurities, nominal thickness and tolerance, width, length and whether you need rolls or flat sheets. Agree the measurement method and positions across the foil. Specify surface cleanliness, edge condition and acceptable flatness or curl. Pure tungsten foil is commonly specified to ASTM B760; agree the material specification with your customer before placing the order.

Ask for a batch certificate of analysis and traceability from the certificate to each pack. Agree whether the foil is supplied as rolled or annealed, and trial a sample in the intended cutting, forming or heating process. Under chemicals rules, article status can be unclear. Ask your compliance adviser to assess the foil's UK REACH position for its intended use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: A batch of rectangular tungsten foil sheets for a laboratory supplier, illustrative only under 8101 99 10 00, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £30,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £30,800, so it is £6,160. 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

Thickness and size: measure thickness across the width and along the supplied length using an agreed method suitable for thin foil; check width and cut-sheet dimensions against the order.

Surface and edges: inspect for cracks, splits, pinholes, creases, burrs and contamination; examine edges after unpacking rather than through protective wrapping.

Purity and traceability: match pack identifiers to the batch certificate and arrange composition testing against the agreed specification where needed.

Packing and usability: check sheets for bending and rolls for crushed edges; compare the supplied condition with the approved sample before processing. Set out these checks in your quality inspection brief.

What goes wrong

Foil can match the ordered average thickness while varying across its width. Edge splits, rolling cracks and creases can make otherwise usable material fail during cutting or forming. A certificate alone will not reveal these defects. Agree thickness acceptance criteria and inspect material from different positions in the batch.

Substituted composition, an unagreed material condition or damaged packing can make the foil unsuitable for the buyer's process. Keep an approved sample, compare incoming batches with it, and record defects before using the material. Ask the factory to agree protective packing and batch identification 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.