Sourcing borane reducing agents from China
Other organic compounds of heading 2942 from China, including sodium triacetoxyborohydride used in pharmaceutical synthesis and dimethylamine borane used in electroless plating, pay 0% UK duty on all 3 lines, with no anti-dumping duty. UK REACH and CLP apply, and borane reagents that react with water need dangerous goods packing and dry storage.
Sodium triacetoxyborohydride, dimethylamine borane and other organic compounds of heading 2942 from China pay 0% UK duty. REACH, CLP and water-reactivity.
0% on every line
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 2942 covers other organic compounds not classified elsewhere in chapter 29. All 3 lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure: sodium triacetoxyborohydride, dimethylamine-borane of 98% purity or more, and other organic compounds.
Inorganic borohydrides such as sodium borohydride are in chapter 28, and most organic compounds with a defined function have their own headings earlier in chapter 29, so heading 2942 is a residual heading; confirm the commodity code from the structure.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium triacetoxyborohydride | 2942 00 00 10 | 0% | None |
| Dimethylamine-borane, 98% or more | 2942 00 00 20 | 0% | None |
| Other organic compounds | 2942 00 00 90 | 0% | None |
REACH, CLP and dangerous goods
A Great Britain importer of one tonne or more a year of a substance must register it under UK REACH, retained Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, or rely on an only representative, and every shipment needs a safety data sheet with the GB CLP classification under retained Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.
Borane reducing agents react with water or moisture and can release flammable hydrogen, so check the UN number and packing group on the safety data sheet, ship in approved sealed containers, and store them dry.
Specifying borane reagents
Specify the CAS number, assay (active hydride content), impurity limits, moisture, particle form, packing under inert gas in sealed drums or bottles, shelf life and storage temperature, and a certificate of analysis per lot.
Worked duty example
Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 2 tonnes of sodium triacetoxyborohydride under 2942 00 00 10. At £60,000 free on board and £2,500 to ship and insure, the customs value is £62,500. With 0% duty on sodium triacetoxyborohydride, the only charge is import VAT: 20% of £62,500, or £12,500. 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
Documents: check the certificate of analysis, the English safety data sheet and the UK REACH route against the order.
Laboratory: test an independent sample for active hydride content and purity, since reagents lose activity if moisture gets in.
Packing: check containers are sealed under inert gas, labelled with GB CLP pictograms and UN numbers, and approved for the dangerous goods class.
What goes wrong
Borane reagent orders fail on activity, moisture and transport. Poorly sealed packs let moisture in so hydride content falls, assay differs from the certificate, and shipments are refused because packing or declarations do not match the dangerous goods class.
Agree assay and packing in writing, test on arrival, and settle transport classification first. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources borane reagents for UK pharmaceutical and plating chemistry users, checking the producer's quality and packing records first. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on sodium triacetoxyborohydride from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, sodium triacetoxyborohydride (2942 00 00 10) carried 0% from China.
Is dimethylamine borane duty-free?
Yes. Dimethylamine-borane of 98% or more (2942 00 00 20) carried 0%.
Do these reagents need special transport?
Yes. They react with water, so check the UN number and use approved sealed packing.
Do I need UK REACH registration?
Yes, a GB importer of one tonne or more a year must register each substance or use an only representative.