Sourcing Ammonium Chloride from China

Ammonium chloride duty and waste controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 November 2026, ammonium chloride under 2827 10 00 00 carries 4% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for this line. Heading 2827 also covers other chlorides, chloride oxides and hydroxides, bromides and iodides.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. For material that may be waste, confirm the applicable requirements with your customs broker before shipment. For imports into England under notification controls, shipment must await consent from the Environment Agency and the other competent authorities involved. Do not treat the tariff entry as an unconditional clearance for recovered material.

Confirm the commodity code using the composition and product specification, particularly for blended products. The calcium and magnesium chloride guide covers the wider heading. Only the ammonium chloride line is shown here because the supplied facts contain no separate ammonium chloride grade codes.

Specify ammonium chloride by assay and application

State the intended industrial or laboratory use, assay basis, moisture limit, insoluble matter, iron and any application-sensitive impurities. Agree powder or crystal form, particle size, sampling and test methods. Ask for a batch certificate of analysis and retain an approved sample. A grade name alone does not define acceptance.

For imports into Great Britain, confirm with HSE whether UK REACH registration coverage is needed for your annual import quantity and whether any exemptions or transitional arrangements apply. For supply on the GB market, ensure correct chemical labelling and packaging, and confirm the applicable classification requirements with HSE. Ask HSE whether a safety data sheet is required and which language requirements apply.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 4 tonnes of ammonium chloride under 2827 10 00 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £540 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,540. Duty at 4% is £381.60. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,921.60, so it is £1,984.32. Import taxes total £2,365.92; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £381.60 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match ammonium chloride, the agreed grade and batch references across the bags, certificate of analysis and shipment documents.

Analysis: independently sample the shipment and check assay, moisture, insolubles and agreed impurities against the purchase specification.

Packaging: check sealed liners, bag seams, net weights, pallet protection and evidence of leakage, contamination or hard caking.

Supply documents: compare labels with the agreed classification and safety data sheet; record missing documents before releasing stock. Set out the sampling plan in your inspection brief.

What goes wrong

An acceptable assay can conceal unsuitable iron or insoluble matter. A certificate may describe a sample rather than the dispatched batch, while torn liners allow contamination and damp packing can leave hard lumps. Write each acceptance criterion into the order and link laboratory results to the delivered batch.

Industrial material may be offered for a more demanding application without supporting impurity data. Keep acceptance tied to the intended use, retain samples and isolate questionable stock while the supplier and laboratory investigate.

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.