Sourcing Acrylic Rubber from China

Acrylic rubber duty and classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 4002 covers synthetic rubber in primary forms or plates, sheets and strip. For acrylic rubber, the table shows candidate routes for other synthetic rubber, latex, plastics-modified material and natural-rubber blends. These are conditional alternatives, not interchangeable codes. See the wider synthetic rubber guide.

All listed lines carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measures and no suspensions shown. The tariff attaches waste import and export controls. For waste or reclaimed consignments from China, ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable import procedure before shipping; this guide does not establish the route for a particular waste shipment.

Confirm the commodity code using the composition, physical form and technical data sheet. Unvulcanised rubber mixed with fillers or curatives is compounded rubber under heading 4005, as explained in the reference guide. Do not classify a prepared seal compound solely from the supplier's description of it as acrylic rubber.

Specify the acrylic polymer and cure system

Specify the acrylic polymer identity, manufacturer and grade, cure-site chemistry, compatible cure system and Mooney viscosity. Ask the supplier to distinguish raw polymer from a prepared compound and disclose any plastic modification, blend components and additives. Approve samples in your compounder's own recipe rather than accepting a claim that the grade is equivalent.

For seal applications, agree how to compare oil exposure, heat ageing, compression set and low-temperature behaviour against your approved material. Request the technical data sheet, safety data sheet and batch analysis certificate. Confirm with HSE or your customs broker whether the polymer is exempt from UK REACH registration and whether monomers or additives need registration; assess the whole formulation's position.

For supply in Great Britain, substances and mixtures must be labelled and packaged correctly before being placed on the market. Review the supplier's proposed labels and packaging alongside the actual grade and safety information.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of acrylic rubber in bales under 4002 99 90 00, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £42,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £42,000, so it is £8,400. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the manufacturer, grade and batch markings to the purchase order, technical data sheet and analysis certificate.

Processing: compare sampled Mooney viscosity and cure curves with the approved batch using the same recipe and test conditions.

Seal performance: mould samples from the delivered batch and compare oil exposure, heat ageing and compression set against the agreed specification.

Packing: check bale wrapping, contamination, sticking, cold flow, package damage and batch traceability; retain labelled samples.

What goes wrong

A nominally equivalent acrylic grade can need a different cure system. Substitution may change scorch behaviour, cure development or the finished seal's compression set. Viscosity drift also changes mixing and mould filling. Keep the approved formulation and test conditions attached to the order, and investigate deviations before releasing the batch.

Damaged wrapping and mixed batches make contamination and traceability harder to control. Separate suspect material and compare retained samples with the approved lot. Use the quality inspection guide to define sampling and acceptance records.

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.