Sourcing bottle sealing wax from China

Zero duty for qualifying prepared wax

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 3404 covers artificial waxes and prepared waxes. Both supplied commodity lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, tariff suspension or attached import control.

For a bottle sealing blend that qualifies as an other artificial or prepared wax, check 3404 90 00 00. The table shows different presentations under that same code, rather than separate tariff lines. Plain paraffin and unprepared natural waxes belong outside this heading; the product name alone does not settle classification.

Obtain the composition and intended use before confirming the commodity code. Our artificial and prepared waxes guide covers the wider heading. Use the import duty and VAT guide when calculating the illustrative order.

Specify the bottle, closure and dipping process

Give the factory your bottle-neck shape, closure material and intended wax coverage. Specify pellets or blocks, colour and gloss, melting behaviour, dipping viscosity, cooling behaviour and opening method. Decide whether the finish should peel away or break cleanly. Approve samples on your own bottles and closures, including any pull tab.

Ask for the formulation, handling instructions and batch identification. Under the Great Britain chemical supply rules, substances and mixtures must be labelled and packaged correctly before being placed on the market. Hazardous chemicals supplied for workplace use need a safety data sheet. For a substance you have not previously imported, consider whether UK REACH registration is required.

For drinks bottles, ask for suitability evidence covering the actual wax formulation and its intended position on the closure. Agree tests for odour, colour transfer and any foreseeable contact with the contents. Treat a supplier's general food-safe statement as a starting point for checking evidence.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small-business order of cartons of prepared bottle sealing wax pellets under 3404 90 00 00, invoiced at £2,200 free on board, with £1,168 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,368. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,368, so it is £673.60. 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: check batch references, colour, supplied form and paperwork against the approved formulation and retained sample.

Dipping: use your bottle and closure to check melt consistency, flow, coverage, drips, bubbles and finish after cooling.

Opening: check adhesion, cracking and removal after storage and handling; confirm the pull tab works without leaving loose fragments around the opening.

Packing: check net contents, contamination, fused pellets, damaged bags and colour transfer. Record findings through the quality inspection process.

What goes wrong

Wax can look right in a sample bag but behave differently on the bottle. A changed blend may run down the neck, cool unevenly, crack during handling or cling too tightly to the closure. Pigment variation can change the finish or stain labels. Test the production batch using the approved dipping process.

A decorative wax coating can conceal a poorly fitted closure. Check the closure separately, then check the wax finish and opening behaviour. Keep a retained sample and require approval before the factory changes the wax base, pigment or additives.

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.