How to export lubricants from the UK to China
To export lubricants to China, match the formulation and use to the tariff line, check UK chemical export rules and confirm import requirements with your buyer. Listed MFN rates are 10% or 6.5%, with import VAT generally 13%. Cambridge China Bridge’s own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands.
Choose the route for your formulation
For lubricants and additives, start with the formulation and intended use: lubricant preparations, anti-knock preparations and prepared additives have different tariff lines. Have your importer confirm the product-specific import requirements before agreeing supply. GACC Decree 280 concerns overseas food manufacturers, so its registration does not apply to these products.
UK exports under HS 3403-3811 (9 subheadings): HMRC recorded £12.0m of UK goods exports to mainland China under 9 HS6 subheadings in 2025 (2024: £11.4m, +5.5%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £1.8m. January to July 2026: £9.4m against £8.1m in the same months of 2025 (+16.6%).
Price against the Chinese tariff line
The listed Chinese tariff lines have the MFN rates shown below. Do not carry a UK export suffix into the Chinese declaration: UK HS 340319 has several export lines, while the listed Chinese line is 34031900. The largest UK export line to mainland China in this group was 34039900, at £3.7m in 2025; that is the HS-line total.
Import VAT is generally 13%, calculated on customs value plus customs duty plus consumption tax. The importer's customs broker or adviser confirms whether consumption tax applies to your product. These border taxes add to landed cost and shape the price your importer can offer, so agree the classification before comparing quotations.
| Chinese tariff line | Rate |
|---|---|
| 34031100 | 10% |
| 34031900 | 10% |
| 34039100 | 10% |
| 34039900 | 10% |
| 38111100 | 6.5% |
| 38111900 | 6.5% |
| 38112100 | 6.5% |
| 38112900 | 6.5% |
| 38119000 | 6.5% |
Check the UK chemical export requirements
For exports from England, Scotland or Wales, obtain a GB EORI and classify the goods before arranging the export declaration. Provide the declarant with value, weight, packaging, destination, transport and invoice and packing-list references. GOV.UK sets special export rules for controlled chemicals, drug precursors and hazardous chemicals; check whether your formulation falls within them. The carrier needs the invoice and any applicable export licences or certificates.
Cross-border retail covers only part of the range
The matched cross-border retail entry is 34039900: lubricants not containing petroleum oil or oils obtained from bituminous minerals. Do not extend that entry to the other tariff lines. Listed goods through bonded 1210 or direct 9610 channels are supervised as personal-use articles without first-import licence, registration or filing requirements, except for suspended epidemic-area goods or emergency handling of major quality and safety risks.
The overseas seller carries the main product quality and safety responsibility and must appoint a mainland-registered company to register with customs, declare truthfully and share civil liability. Consumers must accept a risk notice before ordering, including that the goods are for personal use and may not be resold. This route therefore needs a consumer retail plan rather than a distributor stock order.
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Find an importer who can assess your product
Ask prospective importers which formulation and use they intend to buy, which Chinese tariff line they propose and how they will confirm import requirements. Our own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands. If an importer has already approached you, our staff in China check that company before stock is sent or anything is signed.
Through our export-to-China service, we prepare registration and label work with licensed partners in China. The importer of record and, for cross-border retail, the cross-border e-commerce agent remain with licensed partners in China; the brand's own filings stay the brand's. We check with licensed partners.
Frequently asked questions
What duty does China charge on UK lubricants?
Chinese lines 34031100/34031900/34039100/34039900 carry 10% MFN duty; 38111100/38111900/38112100/38112900/38119000 carry 6.5%. Match the formulation and intended use to the correct line before pricing.
Do lubricants need GACC food-manufacturer registration?
GACC Decree 280 covers overseas food manufacturers, so that registration does not apply to lubricants. Have your importer confirm the product-specific import requirements separately.
Can I sell UK lubricants through cross-border e-commerce?
The matched retail-list entry is 34039900, for lubricants without petroleum oil or oils from bituminous minerals. Listed retail imports are for personal use and may not be resold.
Do I need a UK chemical export licence for lubricants?
Check your formulation against GOV.UK rules for controlled chemicals, drug precursors and hazardous chemicals. Those rules determine whether an export licence or other special requirement applies.