Subheading · Chapter 70 · Heading 7018
7018.20: Glass microspheres not exceeding 1 mm in diameter
Subheading 7018.20 belongs to heading 7018 (glass beads, imitation pearls, imitation precious or semi-precious stones and…) in chapter 70.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 7018 20 00 00 Glass microspheres not exceeding 1 mm in diameter Free
- 7018 20 00 10 Of solid glass microspheres Free
- 7018 20 00 90 Other Free
Additional duties and import rules
Charges on top of the customs duty, and rules the goods must meet at the border.
Additional duties and charges 1
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 376
- Documents
- 9008
Import requirements 1
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
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 | |
| DCTS Enhanced | Algeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville and 13 moreAlgeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville, Cook Islands, Kyrgyzstan, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Niue, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu | 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 |
| DCTS Standard | Indonesia | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States | £11.8m | 43.2% | +23.5% |
 France | £10.1m | 37.1% | +1% |
 China | £2.8m | 10.4% | +68.9% |
 Germany | £1.1m | 4.1% | +2.9% |
 Australia | £767k | 2.8% | +91.2% |
 Austria | £329k | 1.2% | +63.7% |
 Belgium | £190k | 0.7% | +12.5% |
 Netherlands | £46k | 0.2% | +72% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$258kUS$258k+US$2m+US$11m+> US$41m
Exports: 91
- China: US$123m
- France: US$57m
- United States: US$41m
- Austria: US$36m
- Germany: US$24m
- Japan: US$23m
- Russia: US$11m
- Australia: US$11m
- Belgium: US$11m
- United Kingdom: US$10m
- Spain: US$10m
- Malaysia: US$8m
- Greece: US$8m
- Poland: US$5m
- Singapore: US$4m
- Mexico: US$3m
- Brazil: US$3m
- South Korea: US$3m
- Belarus: US$3m
- Netherlands: US$2m
- Canada: US$2m
- United Arab Emirates: US$2m
- Argentina: US$2m
- Thailand: US$2m
- Tunisia: US$2m
- India: US$2m
- Italy: US$2m
- Iran: US$1m
- Czechia: US$1m
- Denmark: US$905k
- Saudi Arabia: US$671k
- Türkiye: US$624k
- Kazakhstan: US$548k
- Kuwait: US$510k
- Portugal: US$497k
- Switzerland: US$459k
- Ireland: US$433k
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$379k
- Sweden: US$343k
- Slovakia: US$327k
- Finland: US$324k
- Slovenia: US$307k
- Serbia: US$265k
- Bulgaria: US$260k
- Norway: US$258k
- Hungary: US$257k
- Lithuania: US$226k
- Romania: US$197k
- Oman: US$180k
- Taiwan: US$161k
- Dominican Republic: US$151k
- South Africa: US$120k
- Croatia: US$118k
- Colombia: US$92k
- Guatemala: US$74k
- Angola: US$72k
- Ukraine: US$63k
- Georgia: US$57k
- Chile: US$50k
- Panama: US$36k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$245kUS$245k+US$2m+US$7m+> US$17m
Imports: 172
- South Korea: US$44m
- Germany: US$34m
- China: US$32m
- United States: US$27m
- United Kingdom: US$26m
- Italy: US$17m
- India: US$12m
- Greece: US$11m
- Netherlands: US$10m
- Poland: US$10m
- France: US$10m
- United Arab Emirates: US$9m
- Türkiye: US$8m
- Belgium: US$8m
- Indonesia: US$8m
- Sweden: US$8m
- Spain: US$7m
- Brazil: US$7m
- Taiwan: US$7m
- Norway: US$5m
- Mexico: US$5m
- Thailand: US$5m
- Japan: US$5m
- Czechia: US$4m
- Denmark: US$4m
- Slovakia: US$4m
- Chile: US$4m
- Australia: US$4m
- Canada: US$4m
- Switzerland: US$4m
- Malaysia: US$4m
- Vietnam: US$4m
- Hungary: US$4m
- Peru: US$3m
- Kuwait: US$3m
- Morocco: US$3m
- Russia: US$3m
- South Africa: US$3m
- Qatar: US$3m
- Romania: US$2m
- Portugal: US$2m
- Ireland: US$2m
- Croatia: US$2m
- Kazakhstan: US$2m
- Colombia: US$2m
- Austria: US$2m
- Serbia: US$2m
- Israel: US$2m
- Egypt: US$2m
- Philippines: US$1m
- Suriname: US$1m
- Finland: US$1m
- Singapore: US$1m
- Algeria: US$1m
- Oman: US$1m
- Saudi Arabia: US$1m
- Ecuador: US$1m
- Slovenia: US$991k
- Ukraine: US$922k
- Uzbekistan: US$874k
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$123m | 29.3% |
| 2 | France | US$57m | 13.5% |
| 3 | United States | US$41m | 9.9% |
| 4 | Austria | US$36m | 8.6% |
| 5 | Germany | US$24m | 5.8% |
| 6 |  Japan | US$23m | 5.5% |
| 7 |  Russia | US$11m | 2.6% |
| 8 | Australia | US$11m | 2.6% |
| 9 | Belgium | US$11m | 2.6% |
| 10 | United Kingdom | US$10m | 2.4% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South Korea | US$44m | 10.4% |
| 2 | Germany | US$34m | 8.2% |
| 3 | China | US$32m | 7.6% |
| 4 | United States | US$27m | 6.4% |
| 5 | United Kingdom | US$26m | 6.1% |
| 6 |  Italy | US$17m | 3.9% |
| 7 |  India | US$12m | 2.9% |
| 8 |  Greece | US$11m | 2.7% |
| 9 | Netherlands | US$10m | 2.4% |
| 10 |  Poland | US$10m | 2.4% |
The UK Global Tariff divides subheading 7018.20 into 2 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
Subheading 7018.20 is a single line in the EU Combined Nomenclature, where the duty is 3%.
174 countries pay no duty in the UK thanks to trade agreements and preference schemes such as DCTS Comprehensive and European Union, against a standard rate of Free.
In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.
Imports of these goods into the UK came to £27.3m between September 2025 and August 2026 (up 18% on the year before); United States supplied 43%, followed by France.
In 2024, countries exported these goods worth US$421m (−3.8% year on year).
The largest exporter was China (US$123m), followed by France.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for glass microspheres not exceeding 1 mm in diameter?
Glass microspheres not exceeding 1 mm in diameter fall under HS subheading 7018.20, part of heading 7018, in section XIII of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on glass microspheres not exceeding 1 mm in diameter in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 7018.20 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 glass microspheres not exceeding 1 mm in diameter in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 7018.20 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 3%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most glass microspheres not exceeding 1 mm in diameter?
China, with US$123m in 2024 (29.3% of world exports).
Which countries can export these goods to the UK duty-free?
174 countries pay no duty under a trade agreement or preference scheme, among them partners under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union, DCTS Enhanced. 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.
Is there anti-dumping duty on these goods?
The UK charges additional duty of 35% on goods from Belarus and Russia. Lower rates apply to the named exporters listed in the measure.
Where does the UK import these goods from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were United States (43%), France (37%) and China (10%), out of total imports of £27.3m.