Sourcing unroasted iron pyrites from China

Zero duty and a waste-control check

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 18 November 2026, heading 2502 covers unroasted iron pyrites. The supplied extract contains only commodity code 2502 00 00 00, carrying 0% duty for goods from China. It lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches import and export waste controls. For a shipment from China, ask your customs broker to confirm whether those controls apply to the actual material and what documents are needed. For waste entering England under notification controls, shipment cannot begin until the competent authorities of destination, dispatch and transit have consented.

Give your broker the mineral identity, processing history, batch analysis and intended use, then confirm the commodity code. The table contains the sole line supplied for this heading. See UK import duty and VAT when preparing the landed-cost calculation.

Specify sulphur content and processing history

State whether you want lump material, crushed ore or concentrate. Agree sulphur and iron content, particle-size distribution, moisture, gangue content and limits for unwanted elements such as arsenic and lead. Specify whether the analysis is reported on a dry basis or as received.

Ask for the mine and processor identity, the processing history and an analysis tied to the offered batch. Retain an approved sample and agree how the shipment will be sampled. Ask a chemical compliance adviser to review UK REACH status, hazard classification, labelling and packaging for the intended UK supply.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 10 tonnes of unroasted iron pyrites under 2502 00 00 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £10,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £10,200, so it is £2,040. 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

Identity: check the batch documents and processing declaration against the ordered unroasted material.

Analysis: compare sulphur, iron, moisture and unwanted elements with the agreed specification; send a representative sample for independent testing.

Grading: sieve a representative sample and check excessive fines, oversized lumps and foreign material.

Packing: check bag integrity, batch markings, declared net weight and signs of water ingress on arrival. Use the quality inspection guide to agree checks before dispatch.

What goes wrong

A sulphur result on a dry basis can make a damp shipment look better than its usable delivered content. Excess gangue, inconsistent grading or an analysis from a different batch can also leave the buyer with material that does not suit the process.

Another failure is ordering material described simply as pyrites without establishing its processing history or waste status. Resolve these points before dispatch, and keep the purchase specification, sample and batch documents together.

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.