Sourcing bath salts from China
Perfumed bath salts from China carry 6% UK duty under 3307 30 00 00, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty recorded. For sale in Great Britain, cosmetic bath salts need a qualified safety assessment; confirm the UK Responsible Person and pre-market notification requirements with the relevant authority. Cambridge China Bridge sources bath salts.
UK duty on bath salts
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, perfumed bath salts and other bath preparations under 3307 30 00 00 carry 6% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. Import VAT is 20%.
Heading 3307 also covers shaving preparations, deodorants and other toilet preparations. The bath-preparation line lists an export control of mercury, rather than an import control. Ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance to your declaration. The table shows packaging variants sharing the same tariff line.
Confirm the commodity code against the actual formulation and intended use, particularly for unperfumed raw salts rather than prepared bath products. For the wider heading, see the roll-on deodorants guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfumed bath salts in jars | 3307 30 00 00 | 6% | None |
Specify the salt blend and moisture protection
Agree the salt identity, full quantitative formulation, crystal size, fragrance, colour and any added oils or botanical material. Retain an approved sample. Define acceptable dissolution, sediment and staining using the intended bathing instructions, rather than judging the dry product by smell alone.
Specify fill weight, closure, inner seal and pouch barrier properties. Test the actual formulation in its final pack for clumping, fragrance loss and leakage. Require approval before the factory substitutes fragrance, colourant, salt or packaging.
For cosmetic bath salts sold in Great Britain, arrange the qualified safety assessment before sale and confirm the UK Responsible Person, product information file and notification requirements with the relevant authority. The assessor needs the actual formulation. Ask the authority to confirm applicable ingredient restrictions and prohibitions and the requirements for supporting claims.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 200 kg of perfumed bath salts; FOB value and freight are illustrative. under 3307 30 00 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £600 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,600. Duty at 6% is £396. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,996, so it is £1,399.20. Import taxes total £1,795.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £396 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Blend: compare crystal size, colour and fragrance with the retained sample; check for foreign material and uneven distribution of added ingredients.
Bath performance: dissolve a sample using the agreed instructions and check sediment, floating oil, colour transfer and residue on the bath surface.
Pack condition: check net fill, seals, closures and evidence of moisture ingress; inspect jars and pouches for cracks, leaks and salt trapped in sealing areas.
Labels and records: match batch identification to production records and the assessed formula; check ingredients, durability information, function, warnings and Responsible Person details against approved artwork.
What goes wrong
Moisture can turn loose crystals into hard lumps, while weak seals let fragrance escape or salt spill into cartons. Added colour or botanical material can leave residue that an attractive dry sample does not reveal. Check packed samples and bathing performance before approving production.
A fragrance substitution can leave the safety assessment and ingredient artwork describing a different formula. Agree written change approval and keep the product information file current after reformulation. A factory ingredient list alone does not replace the quantitative formula needed for assessment.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on bath salts from China?
Perfumed bath salts under 3307 30 00 00 carry 6% duty in the supplied tariff record, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. Import VAT is 20%.
Do bath salts need a cosmetic safety assessment?
Cosmetic bath salts sold in Great Britain need a qualified safety assessment before sale. Confirm the product information file, UK Responsible Person and notification requirements with the relevant authority.
What should I ask the bath salt factory for?
Ask for the full quantitative formula, salt identity, fragrance and colourant details, batch records and packed samples. Agree crystal size, dissolution, fill weight and seals.
How do I check bath salts on arrival?
Check clumping, fragrance, colour consistency, fill and seals against approved samples. Dissolve a sample to check residue and staining, then match batch codes and labels to the approved formula.