Sourcing vanadium ore concentrate from China

Duty and controls on vanadium ore concentrate

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 2617 covers other ores and concentrates. For vanadium ore concentrate falling within this heading, the relevant line is 2617 90 00 00, described as Other. The table repeats this code for packing and physical forms. Confirm mineral identity before classification. See the wider antimony and other ores guide.

The supplied record shows 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions listed. It attaches an import waste control, plus export waste and mercury controls. Ask your customs broker to confirm their application to the actual material and intended movement.

Waste shipment controls apply where the material is waste. For a shipment from China into England subject to notification controls, confirm with your broker and the relevant environmental authority who must submit the notification and where the process starts. Shipment can begin after consent from the Environment Agency and the other competent authorities involved. Confirm the procedure with your broker and check the commodity code using the assay, mineral description and processing history.

Specify vanadium content and mineral identity

Specify the source mineral, beneficiation process and intended extraction process. Agree vanadium content on a dry basis, and state whether the laboratory reports elemental vanadium or a vanadium pentoxide equivalent. Ask the receiving processor to set acceptable limits for iron, titanium, silica, phosphorus, sulphur and other relevant impurities.

Agree moisture, particle size distribution and the basis for settling delivered weight. Define representative sampling across the lot, sealed retained samples, an independent laboratory and a procedure for disputed assays. Ask for processing records that distinguish mined concentrate from recovered residues, slags or chemically processed products.

Chemical classification is the supplier's responsibility, including the importer. Substances and mixtures must be correctly labelled and packaged before being placed on the Great Britain market. Obtain composition and hazard information before approving packaging. Use factory verification to check the producer's processing and sampling arrangements.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative trial lot of bagged vanadium ore concentrate for a specialist processor under 2617 90 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

Identity: match mineral description, processing records, bag marks and lot references to the order and assay report.

Assay: independently sample the shipment and compare dry-basis vanadium content and impurities with the processor's specification. Check that both laboratories report results on the same basis.

Moisture: test representative samples for moisture and particle size. Record wet patches, caking and uneven blending before accepting delivered weight.

Packing: inspect seams, liners, closures, leakage and container dryness. Match labels to the approved hazard information and lot records. Plan checks with the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

An elemental vanadium result and a vanadium pentoxide equivalent can be mistaken for the same assay. A selected sample can also overstate shipment quality. Agree the reporting basis and representative sampling before payment; retain sealed samples for any dispute.

Moisture can inflate delivered weight, while uneven blending hides impurity pockets. Recovered residue sold as concentrate can also leave waste status unresolved. Establish the source and processing history before booking transport, and resolve the applicable waste procedure 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.