Sourcing benzene from China

Benzene import duty and tariff controls

Heading 2902 covers cyclic hydrocarbons. Benzene has its own line, 2902 20 00 00. The other table entries are related chemicals for comparison, not alternative benzene codes. Solvent blends and thinners are classified elsewhere; confirm the composition and purity through our commodity code guide.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, benzene from China carries 0% duty. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. It attaches export controls on dangerous chemicals and waste. These are labelled as export controls; ask your customs broker to confirm their relevance to the proposed shipment.

For Great Britain, HSE says there are no PIC notification obligations for imports, but annual reporting applies to listed chemicals. Confirm whether the benzene shipment falls within that reporting scope. If the material is waste subject to notification controls, the exporter applies for consent in the country of dispatch. Confirm the waste classification and requirements with your broker. See the wider cyclic hydrocarbons guide.

Specify benzene purity and intended use

Describe the intended industrial or laboratory use, agreed purity, individual impurity limits, water content, colour and test methods. Ask for a batch-specific certificate of analysis and agree how representative samples will be drawn. Specify the tank or drum arrangement, previous-cargo information and cleaning evidence rather than accepting a generic solvent specification.

Confirm with HSE any UK REACH restrictions on benzene in substances and mixtures supplied to the public, and whether your imports need registration coverage or an only representative. Confirm that coverage before ordering. Chemicals must be correctly labelled and packaged before being placed on the Great Britain market. Benzene is flammable; confirm applicable dangerous goods transport packaging, labels and declaration requirements with your carrier.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of benzene in an ISO tank under 2902 20 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £21,000, so it is £4,200. 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 and purity: match the product name and batch to the analysis certificate; have a laboratory compare purity and the agreed impurities against the purchase specification.

Water and colour: test representative samples against the agreed acceptance limits rather than relying on the supplier's typical analysis.

Tank and seals: compare cleaning evidence, previous-cargo details and seal records; check for leakage or damaged closures before unloading.

Documents: match labels, the English safety data sheet and dangerous goods paperwork to the actual cargo. Use our quality inspection guide to organise the checks.

What goes wrong

A certificate for another batch can hide an off-spec delivery. Residual cargo or water in a tank can contaminate benzene even when the factory sample passes. Agree loading samples, arrival testing and a hold-and-review procedure for discrepancies before shipment.

A zero duty rate does not settle chemical supply restrictions or the suitability of the buyer's intended use. Resolve registration coverage, consumer-product restrictions and any waste status before committing to the order.

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.