Sourcing bituminous waterproofing paint from China

Duty and waste controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 2715 covers bituminous mixtures based on natural asphalt, natural bitumen, petroleum bitumen, mineral tar or mineral tar pitch. This guide covers waterproofing paint within that heading. The supplied extract has a single commodity line; the table lists application variants sharing that code.

Goods from China carry 0% duty under 2715 00 00 00, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension recorded. The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. For waste from China imported under notification controls, the exporter applies to the dispatch authority for consent. Confirm with the relevant waste authority which destination, dispatch and transit consents are needed before shipment. Ask your customs broker and relevant waste authority to confirm the actual consignment's status and procedure.

Confirm the commodity code using the complete formulation and intended use. For the wider heading, see bituminous roofing mastics. See UK import duty and VAT for the tax calculation.

Specify the paint and the surface

Specify the bituminous binder, solvent or water carrier, filler, solids content and viscosity. Name the substrate and whether the coating will remain exposed or be covered. Agree surface preparation, primer compatibility, application method, film thickness, coverage, drying conditions and recoating instructions. Trial the paint on the intended surface rather than relying on its black appearance.

For solvent-containing paint, request flash-point information and a safety data sheet matching the formulation. For sale in Great Britain, arrange classification and labelling by someone with scientific competence. Check the formulation's UK REACH position with your chemical adviser and agree labels and packaging before production. Use testing and certification support to plan formulation and application checks.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of bituminous waterproofing paint in sealed drums under 2715 00 00 00, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £25,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £25,800, so it is £5,160. 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 batch marking, ingredient declaration, certificate and safety data sheet to the approved formulation.

Consistency: compare viscosity, solids content, sediment and ease of remixing with the retained sample using the agreed method.

Coating: trial spreading, coverage, drying and adhesion on the intended prepared substrate; inspect the dry film for pinholes, cracking and persistent tack.

Packing: check drum seams, lids, seals, leaks, corrosion and batch identification. Record discrepancies using the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

Excessive dilution can produce a thin film despite acceptable spreading. A changed solvent or filler can alter drying and leave sediment that is difficult to remix. Poor surface preparation or an incompatible primer can cause adhesion failure. Agree an application trial and compare production samples with the approved paint.

Leaking drums can lose solvent and leave thicker paint. Separate packing damage from formulation failure when investigating a complaint. Reclaimed feedstock also needs its waste status checked before shipment; a supplier's description as waterproofing paint does not settle the attached tariff control.

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.