Beeswax and vegetable waxes from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 1521 covers vegetable waxes (other than triglycerides), beeswax, other insect waxes and spermaceti, whether or not refined or coloured. All 4 lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure: vegetable waxes, spermaceti, raw beeswax and other insect waxes, and other (refined).

Paraffin wax is covered in our paraffin wax guide and prepared waxes in our artificial and prepared waxes guide; finished candles are in our candles guide. Confirm the commodity code.

Rules by end use

Wax sold for cosmetics or food use must meet the rules for that use, so ask for the specification the supplier certifies against and test purity. Wax as a substance falls under UK REACH, and consumer products made from it must be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.

Specifying wax

Specify type (yellow or white beeswax, or a named vegetable wax), form (slabs, pellets, flakes), melting point range, acid and ester values, colour, odour, purity and absence of paraffin or other adulterants, and packing. For blended alternatives, see our artificial and prepared waxes guide.

Worked duty example

Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 5 tonnes of refined yellow beeswax pellets under 1521 90 99 00. At £31,000 free on board and £900 to ship and insure, the customs value is £31,900. With 0% duty on refined beeswax, the only charge is import VAT: 20% of £31,900, or £6,380. VAT-registered businesses usually recover that in their next return. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.

Inspection checklist

Purity: test melting point, acid and ester values against the specification, and screen for paraffin and other adulterants.

Appearance: check colour, odour, foreign matter and form.

Packing: check bags or cartons, lot marking and net weight. Agree bag or carton packing and lot marks before shipping beeswax from China to the UK.

What goes wrong

Wax orders fail on adulteration and variation. Beeswax is cut with paraffin or stearin, colour and odour vary between lots, and melting points drift so candles and balms do not set as expected.

Test purity before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources beeswax and vegetable waxes for UK candle, cosmetic and craft brands, including first orders. See small orders.

Beeswax often comes from the same apiaries as honey, but honey itself is a product of animal origin with a veterinary control and 16% duty; see our honey guide.

Lanolin, the other animal-derived wax used in cosmetics, carries a veterinary control on import; see our lanolin and wool grease guide.