Subheading · Chapter 25 · Heading 2505
2505.10: Silica sands and quartz sands
Silica and quartz sands
2505.10 is the HS subheading for silica and quartz sands, under heading 2505 in chapter 25.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 2505 10 00 00 Silica sands and quartz sands Free
Additional duties and import rules
Charges on top of the customs duty, and rules the goods must meet at the border.
Import requirements 3
- Prohibition or restrictionImport prohibition
- Applies to goods from
- North Korea
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/411
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
- Import controlImport control - Waste
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/590
- Documents
- C672 Information document accompanying shipments of waste as mentioned in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 – Article 18 and Annex VII
- C669 Notification document as mentioned in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 - Article 5 and Annex IA
- Y923 Product not subjected to the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2024/1157
- C670 Movement document as mentioned in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 – Article 5 and Annex IB
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | Free |
| DCTS Comprehensive | Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin and 38 moreAfghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo - Kinshasa, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia | Free |
| European Union (including code "EU") | Free | |
| CARIFORUM | Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize and 10 moreAntigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago | Free |
| OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories) | Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands and 7 moreAnguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, St Helena, Turks & Caicos Islands | Free |
| Central America | Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama | Free |
| SADC EPA | Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia | Free |
| Eastern and Southern Africa States | Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe | Free |
| CPTPP | Brunei, Malaysia | Free |
| UK–Andorra agreement | Andorra | Free |
| UK–Albania agreement | Albania | Free |
| UK–Australia agreement | Australia | Free |
| UK–Canada agreement | Canada | Free |
| UK–Switzerland agreement | Switzerland | Free |
| UK–Côte d’Ivoire agreement | Côte d’Ivoire | Free |
| UK–Chile agreement | Chile | Free |
| UK–Cameroon agreement | Cameroon | Free |
| UK–Colombia agreement | Colombia | Free |
| UK–Ceuta & Melilla agreement | Ceuta & Melilla | Free |
| UK–Ecuador agreement | Ecuador | Free |
| UK–Egypt agreement | Egypt | Free |
| UK–Fiji agreement | Fiji | Free |
| UK–Faroe Islands agreement | Faroe Islands | Free |
| UK–Georgia agreement | Georgia | Free |
| UK–Ghana agreement | Ghana | Free |
| UK–Israel agreement | Israel | Free |
| UK–India agreement | India | Free |
| UK–Iceland agreement | Iceland | Free |
| UK–Jordan agreement | Jordan | Free |
| UK–Japan agreement | Japan | Free |
| UK–Kenya agreement | Kenya | Free |
| UK–South Korea agreement | South Korea | Free |
| UK–Lebanon agreement | Lebanon | Free |
| UK–Liechtenstein agreement | Liechtenstein | Free |
| UK–Morocco agreement | Morocco | Free |
| UK–Moldova agreement | Moldova | Free |
| UK–North Macedonia agreement | North Macedonia | Free |
| UK–Mexico agreement | Mexico | Free |
| UK–Norway agreement | Norway | Free |
| UK–New Zealand agreement | New Zealand | Free |
| UK–Peru agreement | Peru | Free |
| UK–Papua New Guinea agreement | Papua New Guinea | Free |
| UK–Palestinian Territories agreement | Palestinian Territories | Free |
| UK–Serbia agreement | Serbia | Free |
| UK–Solomon Islands agreement | Solomon Islands | Free |
| UK–Singapore agreement | Singapore | Free |
| UK–San Marino agreement | San Marino | Free |
| UK–Tunisia agreement | Tunisia | Free |
| UK–Türkiye agreement | Türkiye | Free |
| UK–Ukraine agreement | Ukraine | Free |
| UK–Vietnam agreement | Vietnam | Free |
| UK–Samoa agreement | Samoa | Free |
| UK–Kosovo agreement | Kosovo | Free |
| UK–South Africa agreement | South Africa | Free |
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 Germany | £8.8m | 31.6% | +27% |
 Netherlands | £4.1m | 14.7% | -2.4% |
 Denmark | £3.6m | 13% | +79.2% |
 Belgium | £3.5m | 12.8% | -20.9% |
 Ireland | £3.3m | 11.7% | -17.8% |
 Portugal | £1.5m | 5.5% | +31.6% |
 France | £960k | 3.5% | +21% |
 United States | £956k | 3.4% | +1.2% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$259.1kUS$259.1k+US$3.2m+US$23.1m+> US$80.8m
Exports: 145
- United States: US$448.7m
- Australia: US$216.4m
- Malaysia: US$107.8m
- Germany: US$95.4m
- Belgium: US$80.8m
- Indonesia: US$62.4m
- China: US$58.4m
- Saudi Arabia: US$57.8m
- Egypt: US$54.5m
- Netherlands: US$49.1m
- Vietnam: US$39.6m
- Portugal: US$38.4m
- France: US$36.8m
- Taiwan: US$23.1m
- Denmark: US$18.9m
- Poland: US$17.3m
- Spain: US$14.4m
- United Kingdom: US$13.6m
- Bulgaria: US$13.4m
- Czechia: US$12.8m
- Russia: US$12.1m
- Canada: US$11.5m
- Sweden: US$8.5m
- Slovakia: US$7.9m
- Italy: US$7.4m
- India: US$7.1m
- Ireland: US$5.6m
- Hungary: US$5m
- Serbia: US$4.2m
- Senegal: US$4.1m
- South Korea: US$4.1m
- Türkiye: US$4m
- Norway: US$4m
- Austria: US$3.4m
- Pakistan: US$3.2m
- Kazakhstan: US$2.9m
- Slovenia: US$2.7m
- Jordan: US$2.6m
- Brazil: US$2.6m
- Tunisia: US$2.5m
- Guyana: US$2.3m
- Japan: US$1.9m
- United Arab Emirates: US$1.9m
- Latvia: US$1.7m
- Georgia: US$1.5m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$1.5m
- Greece: US$1.4m
- Lithuania: US$1.4m
- South Africa: US$1.2m
- Mexico: US$1.2m
- Guatemala: US$1m
- Gambia: US$1m
- Chile: US$833.2k
- Zambia: US$793.1k
- Peru: US$763.1k
- Ukraine: US$753.1k
- Montserrat: US$676.4k
- Argentina: US$648k
- Romania: US$638.9k
- Dominican Republic: US$629.4k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$395.1kUS$395.1k+US$3m+US$18.9m+> US$67.7m
Imports: 198
- Canada: US$285.8m
- China: US$236.9m
- Japan: US$91.7m
- Taiwan: US$84.1m
- Germany: US$71.6m
- Italy: US$67.7m
- Türkiye: US$54.4m
- South Korea: US$48m
- Mexico: US$44.6m
- Singapore: US$42.3m
- Netherlands: US$36.8m
- United Arab Emirates: US$31.6m
- United Kingdom: US$29.1m
- Belgium: US$28.9m
- United States: US$23.7m
- Malaysia: US$23m
- Philippines: US$22m
- France: US$19.3m
- Thailand: US$18.9m
- Switzerland: US$18.9m
- India: US$15.4m
- Czechia: US$14.8m
- Austria: US$14.6m
- Spain: US$14.2m
- Romania: US$14.1m
- Poland: US$14m
- Sweden: US$12.6m
- Slovakia: US$12.4m
- Australia: US$12.3m
- Bahrain: US$11.5m
- Norway: US$10.9m
- Saudi Arabia: US$9.2m
- Morocco: US$8.3m
- Uzbekistan: US$7.8m
- Vietnam: US$7.3m
- Kuwait: US$6.8m
- Ireland: US$6m
- Luxembourg: US$6m
- Azerbaijan: US$5.6m
- Hungary: US$5.3m
- Oman: US$4.6m
- Greece: US$4.5m
- Finland: US$4.4m
- Guyana: US$3.7m
- Croatia: US$3.7m
- Kyrgyzstan: US$3.6m
- Slovenia: US$3.4m
- Indonesia: US$3.4m
- Qatar: US$3.1m
- Kazakhstan: US$3m
- Israel: US$3m
- Brazil: US$2.7m
- Denmark: US$2.6m
- Costa Rica: US$2.5m
- Chile: US$2.4m
- Portugal: US$2.4m
- Argentina: US$2.3m
- Iceland: US$2.1m
- Armenia: US$2m
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$1.8m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$448.7m | 28.1% |
| 2 |  Australia | US$216.4m | 13.6% |
| 3 |  Malaysia | US$107.8m | 6.8% |
| 4 | Germany | US$95.4m | 6% |
| 5 | Belgium | US$80.8m | 5.1% |
| 6 |  Indonesia | US$62.4m | 3.9% |
| 7 |  China | US$58.4m | 3.7% |
| 8 |  Saudi Arabia | US$57.8m | 3.6% |
| 9 |  Egypt | US$54.5m | 3.4% |
| 10 | Netherlands | US$49.1m | 3.1% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 1
Decisions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CROSS) and HMRC (Advance Tariff Rulings) on goods classified here. A ruling binds only its holder, but shows how the authorities classify similar goods. The descriptions are the authorities’ own, in English.
- 600016476 HMRC
A dry mix consisting of five parts kiln dried sand and one part cement. The mix is used to fill bulk bags, which in turn are used as ballast for stabilising assets, in subsea environments. The bags when filled with the mix, on account of their weight and size, are deployed and used to secure…
Subheading 2505.10 is a single line in the UK Global Tariff, where the duty is duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 2505.10; the duty is duty-free.
Goods from 156 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard Free; 156 of them pay no duty at all, for example under DCTS Comprehensive or European Union.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the UK imported silica and quartz sands worth £27.8m (up 5% on the year before), at an average of £0.14 per kg; Germany supplied 32%, followed by Netherlands.
World trade in silica and quartz sands reached US$1.6bn in 2024, down 13% on 2023.
The United States was the largest exporter with 28.1% of the total, ahead of Australia.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for silica sands and quartz sands?
Silica sands and quartz sands fall under HS subheading 2505.10, part of heading 2505, in section V of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on silica sands and quartz sands in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 2505.10 from countries without a preferential agreement are free of duty. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on silica sands and quartz sands in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 2505.10 from countries without a preferential agreement are free of duty. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most silica sands and quartz sands?
The United States, with US$448.7m in 2024 (28.1% of world exports).
Which countries can export silica and quartz sands to the UK duty-free?
156 countries pay no duty under a trade agreement or preference scheme, among them partners under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union, CARIFORUM. The goods must meet the agreement’s rules of origin and the importer needs proof of origin; otherwise the standard rate of Free applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Where does the UK import silica and quartz sands from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were Germany (32%), Netherlands (15%) and Denmark (13%), out of total imports of £27.8m.