Sourcing bovine serum albumin from China
Bovine serum albumin (BSA) from China falls within tariff categories carrying 0% or 6% UK duty, depending on classification. Laboratory reagents made from blood products remain subject to blood-product import conditions. Confirm the route for the exact product before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources bovine serum albumin.
BSA classification and UK duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 3502 covers albumins, albuminates and other albumin derivatives. BSA is considered within the other-albumins categories, rather than egg or milk albumin. The table repeats relevant codes to distinguish powder and solution; formulated solutions need their own classification check. See the wider albumins guide.
For goods from China, 3502 90 20 00 carries 0% duty for albumins unfit, or to be rendered unfit, for human consumption. The other category, 3502 90 70 00, carries 6%. Neither supplied line lists anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or a suspension. Both carry veterinary control. Ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable entry documents and route for the exact Chinese BSA.
Confirm the commodity code using animal source, composition, processing, physical form and intended use. A laboratory label alone does not establish the unfit-for-human-consumption classification or permission to import. Distinguish purified BSA from whole serum and from formulated reagent mixtures.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bovine serum albumin powder unfit for human consumption | 3502 90 20 00 | 0% | None |
| Other bovine serum albumin powder, subject to classification | 3502 90 70 00 | 6% | None |
Specify BSA for the intended assay
Specify bovine origin, the country where the source blood was collected, the purification process and intended use. Agree purity and protein assay methods, moisture for powder, concentration and buffer composition for solution, solubility and storage conditions. Where relevant to your assay, agree endotoxin, residual immunoglobulin, protease activity and fatty-acid content. Request a batch certificate of analysis and an approved sample.
For laboratory reagents made from blood products, blood-product import conditions apply. Under the commercial blood-product route, products must come from an establishment approved to export to Great Britain and be accompanied by the relevant health certificate. Before ordering from China, have your broker confirm country eligibility, factory approval, treatment evidence and the applicable certificate with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
Keep research samples separate from commercial stock: goods imported under the research-and-diagnostic-sample route cannot be used commercially. Ask your broker which route fits the proposed shipment. State the intended laboratory application in your purchasing and resale descriptions, and assess each batch against that application.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative only: 20 kg of laboratory bovine serum albumin powder unfit for human consumption, conditional on confirmation of classification and the import route under 3502 90 20 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £18,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £18,000, so it is £3,600. 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 bovine source, collection origin, processing site, grade and batch across containers, specifications and the certificate of analysis.
Purity: compare results with the agreed methods and reporting basis; check application-specific impurities rather than accepting a protein-content result alone.
Performance: dissolve powder using the agreed procedure and compare clarity, insoluble material and assay background with the approved sample.
Packing: check seals, batch labels, moisture damage and storage records against the contract. Plan retained samples through the inspection guide.
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What goes wrong
A supplier may quote purified BSA but provide whole serum, a different purification grade or a formulated mixture. A batch can meet the protein specification yet produce excessive assay background or inconsistent blocking. Agree the test method and assess a sample in your actual assay before accepting the batch.
Manufacture in China does not explain where the source blood was collected or establish import eligibility. Missing source records or an unresolved import route can delay dispatch or clearance. Check these documents alongside the factory's processing capability through factory verification.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on BSA from China?
The supplied other-albumins lines carry 0% under 3502 90 20 00 for goods unfit for human consumption and 6% under 3502 90 70 00 for the other category. Neither lists a trade remedy or suspension.
Does laboratory BSA need veterinary paperwork?
Both relevant tariff lines attach veterinary control. Laboratory reagents made from blood products retain blood-product import conditions. Have your broker confirm the documents and route for the exact Chinese product.
What should I specify when buying BSA?
Specify source origin, purification, purity method, physical form, storage and intended assay. Agree endotoxin, protease activity or fatty-acid content where relevant, then test the batch in your application.
Can I resell BSA imported as a research sample?
Goods imported under the research-and-diagnostic-sample route cannot be used commercially. Establish the appropriate commercial import route before ordering stock for resale.