Sourcing zirconium diboride powder from China
Zirconium diboride powder from China carries 4% UK duty under the borides line, with no suspension or trade remedy recorded. UK REACH registration arrangements and chemical labelling are the main compliance checks for supply in Great Britain. Cambridge China Bridge sources zirconium diboride powder.
Duty on zirconium diboride powder
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2850 covers hydrides, nitrides, azides, silicides and borides, excluding compounds which are also carbides. Zirconium diboride powder falls within the borides line, 2850 00 90 00. The different powder specifications in the table share this commodity line.
The recorded duty for borides from China is 4%, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. For powder from China shipped as waste under notification controls into England, shipment can start only after the Environment Agency and the other competent authorities involved have consented. Confirm the applicable waste requirements with your customs broker before ordering recovered material.
Confirm the composition and supplied form using our commodity code guide. Do not assume a blend or finished ceramic part uses the powder's code. See the titanium diboride guide for related boride sourcing and wider heading context.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zirconium diboride powder for ceramic processing | 2850 00 90 00 | 4% | None |
Specify the zirconium diboride phase and powder
Name zirconium diboride explicitly rather than accepting a quotation for unspecified zirconium boride. Agree phase identification, purity, oxygen and carbon limits, free boron, metallic impurities and particle size distribution. State the test methods and whether particle size is measured after dispersion, so the sample and production results are comparable.
Agree sealed packing, batch identification and a certificate of analysis for each lot. Trial the powder in your own mixing and ceramic processing conditions before approving production supply. Ask the factory how it controls contamination during milling and separates batches.
For Great Britain, confirm with HSE the UK REACH registration arrangements or only-representative coverage applicable to your annual substance imports. Confirm with HSE when safety data sheets must be supplied; chemical labels follow the applicable British classification and labelling rules. Request the English safety data sheet and confirm the registration position before supply.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 25 kg of zirconium diboride powder for process trials; illustrative order and values under 2850 00 90 00, invoiced at £15,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £17,000. Duty at 4% is £680. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £17,680, so it is £3,536. Import taxes total £4,216; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £680 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Identity: check independent phase analysis against the agreed zirconium diboride specification and investigate unexpected phases.
Chemistry: compare purity, oxygen, carbon and metallic impurities with the batch certificate and contractual limits.
Particle size: check the distribution using the agreed dispersion method, and examine agglomerates rather than relying on an average alone.
Packing and documents: check seals, net weight, lot references and the English safety data sheet; compare hazard labels with the stated classification. Arrange sampling through our inspection guide.
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What goes wrong
A purity claim can conceal oxygen contamination or an unwanted phase. Milling can introduce metallic contamination, while agglomeration can make powder behave differently from the approved sample. These differences can affect mixing and ceramic processing even when the supplier's headline particle size looks unchanged.
Write acceptance limits and methods into the order, retain the approved sample and compare production material before release. Quarantine leaking packs or inconsistent batches pending investigation; photographs of sealed drums cannot establish powder chemistry.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on zirconium diboride powder from China?
The recorded rate is 4% under 2850 00 90 00, with no suspension, anti-dumping duty or countervailing duty listed.
Does zirconium diboride powder need UK REACH registration?
For Great Britain, confirm with HSE which registration arrangements or only-representative coverage apply to your annual imports of the substance. Check the coverage before importing.
What should a zirconium diboride powder specification include?
Specify phase, purity, oxygen, carbon, free boron, metallic impurities, particle size distribution and test methods. Require a certificate tied to the supplied batch.
Can I accept the factory's particle size certificate?
Compare its test method and dispersion conditions with your specification. Independently check a production sample and trial it in your process before accepting the batch.