Sourcing acrylic and benzoic acids from China
Unsaturated and cyclic monocarboxylic acids from China, including acrylic acid, acrylates, methacrylates and benzoates, pay 6% UK duty in most cases. Acrylic acid has a 0% suspension until 31 December 2026 and high-purity 2-ethylhexyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate until 2028, benzoic acid is 0% as a pharmaceutical substance, and phenylacetic acid is a category 2 drug precursor.
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Mostly 6%, with suspensions
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, acrylic acid and its salts, other acrylates, methacrylic acid esters, benzoic acid and its salts, benzoyl peroxide and benzoyl chloride and most other acids of heading 2916 carried a third-country duty of 6% on goods from China. Acrylic acid had an autonomous suspension to 0% until 31 December 2026; benzoic acid and sodium benzoate carried 0% as pharmaceutical substances (additional code 2500) and 6% otherwise (2501); phenylacetic acid carried 0%. None had an anti-dumping measure. Re-checked on 27 September 2026 across all 57 leaves: listed high-purity acrylates and methacrylates are also suspended to 0%, including 2-ethylhexyl acrylate of 99.5% or more (2916 12 00 15 and 2916 12 00 90) to 31 December 2028, butyl acrylate of 99% or more (2916 12 00 15) to 1 July 2027, methacrylic acid of 99% or more (2916 13 00 90) and methyl methacrylate of 99% or more, ethyl methacrylate and butyl methacrylate of 99% or more (2916 14 00 90) to 31 December 2028, with many named specialty lines to 2028. Crotonic acid (2916 19 40 00) and esters of phenylacetic acid (2916 39 10 00) carry 0%, and undecenoic acids (2916 19 10 00) 4%.
Some named esters, such as high-purity 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, have their own suspensions tied to additional codes, so check the exact substance; confirm the commodity code with the CAS number. For ethyl acrylate, see our ethyl acrylate sourcing guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylic acid | 2916 11 00 10 | 6%; suspended to 0% until 31 Dec 2026 | None |
| Other acrylates | 2916 12 00 90 | 6%; 2-ethylhexyl acrylate 99.5%+ suspended to 0% to 31 Dec 2028 | None |
| Methacrylic acid and its salts (other) | 2916 13 00 90 | 6%; methacrylic acid 99%+ suspended to 0% to 31 Dec 2028 | None |
| Other methacrylic esters | 2916 14 00 90 | 6%; methyl methacrylate 99%+ and butyl methacrylate 99%+ suspended to 0% to 31 Dec 2028 | None |
| Undecenoic acids and their salts and esters | 2916 19 10 00 | 4% | None |
| Crotonic acid | 2916 19 40 00 | 0% | None |
| Benzoic acid | 2916 31 00 30 | 0% pharmaceutical / 6% other | None |
| Sodium benzoate | 2916 31 00 91 | 0% pharmaceutical / 6% other | None |
| Benzoyl peroxide and benzoyl chloride | 2916 32 00 00 | 6% | None |
| Phenylacetic acid and its salts | 2916 34 00 00 | 0% | None |
Precursors, hazards and food grades
Phenylacetic acid is listed in category 2 of Annex I to the retained drug precursors regulation, so its trade falls under the Home Office precursor regime. Acrylic acid and many acrylates are flammable, corrosive or sensitising under GB CLP, need inhibitor and temperature control in transit, and are dangerous goods; benzoyl peroxide is an organic peroxide with strict packing and storage rules.
Sodium benzoate and benzoic acid used in food are the additives E 211 and E 210 and must meet the retained food additive purity specifications, so ask for food-grade certificates of analysis rather than technical grade. For MSG procurement, see our ethanolamines and amino acids guide. For food acid ingredients, see sourcing citric acid and food acids.
Worked duty example
For a made-up shipment of 15 tonnes of food-grade sodium benzoate under 2916 31 00 91, add the £2,500 of freight and insurance to the £21,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £23,500. At 6%, duty on these sodium benzoate is £1,410; import VAT of £4,982 is 20% of the value with duty added. Together that is £6,392, but a VAT-registered importer usually gets the VAT back. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
What goes wrong
These acids fail on stability, grade and paperwork. Acrylic acid and acrylates polymerise in the drum if the inhibitor runs low or the container gets hot, and acrylic acid freezes around 13 °C and must be thawed carefully. Technical-grade benzoate is supplied against a food-grade order, and benzoyl peroxide arrives in packaging not approved for organic peroxides.
Ask for inhibitor content and a certificate of analysis per batch, agree temperature limits and shipping time for acrylics, confirm food-grade certificates against E 210 and E 211 purity specifications, check dangerous goods classification and packaging for peroxides, and claim the right additive code when entering pharmaceutical-grade benzoates.
Cambridge China Bridge sources acrylic acid, acrylates, methacrylates, benzoates and specialty acids, with grade, inhibitor and dangerous goods handling agreed before shipment. See how we source industrial chemicals.
Related guides: Acetic acid, formic acid and acetates. For other acid feedstocks, see polycarboxylic acids and phthalates.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on acrylic acid from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, acrylic acid carried 6% but had a 0% suspension until 31 December 2026.
What is the duty on sodium benzoate?
0% for pharmaceutical substances under additional code 2500, and 6% otherwise.
Is phenylacetic acid controlled?
Yes. It is a category 2 drug precursor under the retained regulation.
Why does acrylic acid need temperature control?
It can polymerise if the inhibitor runs low or it overheats, and it freezes around 13 °C.