Vermiculite and perlite from China

Zero duty on the unexpanded minerals

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, vermiculite, perlite and chlorites, unexpanded, of subheading 2530 10 carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Expanded vermiculite and perlite, the light granules sold for horticulture and insulation, are in heading 6806, covered in our mineral wool and expanded clay guide.

Mica is in heading 2525 and bentonite in 2508, covered in our bentonite guide. Confirm the commodity code from whether the mineral has been heated and expanded.

Asbestos and dust

Some vermiculite deposits have contained amphibole asbestos, and UK REACH Annex XVII entry 6 bans placing asbestos fibres, or articles to which they are intentionally added, on the market. Ask for the deposit and a certificate of analysis for each lot from a laboratory accredited for asbestos testing, using microscopy suited to low levels, and keep it with the shipping documents.

Perlite and vermiculite dust can contain respirable crystalline silica, which has a workplace exposure limit in HSE's EH40 list, so expanders and bagging plants need dust control. An importer of more than one tonne a year should check UK REACH registration; see our UK REACH guide.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 40 tonnes of unexpanded vermiculite concentrate in bulk bags, commodity code 2530 10 00 00, bought for £9,000 free on board, with £3,200 of freight and insurance, so £12,200 is the value customs works from. No duty is due on unexpanded vermiculite; import VAT at 20% of £12,200 is £2,440. If you are VAT-registered, that VAT is normally reclaimable. Once the vermiculite or perlite has been expanded it is classified in heading 6806 instead. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

What goes wrong

Ore lots fail on grading, expansion and contamination. The size grade is mixed or has too many fines, so the expanded product is dusty or the wrong size; the ore expands less than the sample because of lower purity or moisture; foreign minerals and stones remain after concentration; and paperwork on asbestos is missing or covers a different lot.

Grade samples by sieving against the size specification, expand a sample in a laboratory furnace and measure the expansion ratio and loose bulk density of the expanded product, check moisture and foreign matter, confirm the asbestos certificate matches the lot and deposit, and check bulk bags and liners before loading.

Cambridge China Bridge sources unexpanded vermiculite and perlite ore for expanders, horticultural and insulation producers and brake and fireproofing makers, with asbestos testing agreed before shipment. See how we verify suppliers.