Sourcing bulk co-trimoxazole powder from China
Bulk co-trimoxazole powder within heading 3003 carries 0% UK duty from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty listed. Confirm whether the shipment is a medicinal product or active substances for manufacture: the medicines licence or registration route depends on that distinction. Cambridge China Bridge sources bulk co-trimoxazole powder.
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Zero duty, with the import route settled first
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 24 November 2026, heading 3003 covers mixed medicaments for therapeutic or prophylactic use, supplied without measured doses or retail packaging. This guide concerns bulk co-trimoxazole powder containing sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. The table shows purchasing descriptions sharing the provisional code 3003 90 00 00, rather than separate tariff lines.
The supplied tariff data shows 0% duty on goods from China, no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension. The candidate line carries a goods-for-torture-and-repression export restriction. Official guidance requires exporters to check whether their goods are controlled. Ask your customs broker to confirm its application to the exact formulation and any subsequent export.
Have your broker confirm the commodity code using the complete formula, intended use and packing. Do not classify the blend from its commercial name alone. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs fall under heading 3004. See the bulk medicaments guide for the wider heading.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk co-trimoxazole powder blend | 3003 90 00 00 | 0% | None |
Specify the blend and its manufacturing use
State whether you are buying a medicinal product or active substances for further manufacture. A UK business importing active substances must register with the medicines regulator. For a human medicinal product imported from China into Great Britain, confirm the applicable import licence and batch certification requirements with MHRA. Human medicines normally need a marketing authorisation before sale; confirm any proposed unlicensed supply with MHRA.
Specify sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim separately: identity, assay, agreed blend ratio, impurities and analytical methods. List every excipient. Agree blend uniformity, particle size, water content, storage conditions, retest date and sampling arrangements. Ask the receiving manufacturer to approve the specification before ordering.
Identify the actual manufacturing site and agree the batch records, certificate of analysis and manufacturing quality documents the receiving business needs. Specify sealed liners and containers suitable for the agreed storage conditions. Use factory verification to check the supplier's identity and production arrangements.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 kg of bulk co-trimoxazole powder for tablet manufacture under 3003 90 00 00, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £31,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £31,500, so it is £6,300. 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
Documents: match the supplier, manufacturing site, batch identity and retest date across the container labels, certificate of analysis and batch records.
Composition: independently check the identity and assay of each active ingredient, the agreed ratio, impurities and uniformity across representative samples.
Powder condition: check particle size and water content against the agreed specification; investigate caking, discolouration or foreign material.
Containers: check seals, liners, damage and moisture ingress. Review transport records against the agreed conditions before accepting the batch.
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What goes wrong
A supplier may quote an individual ingredient when the buyer expects a finished blend, or omit excipients from the specification. A combined assay can conceal an incorrect ingredient ratio. Sampling only the top of a container can miss segregation. Agree ingredient-specific tests and representative sampling before dispatch.
Another failure is treating zero duty as sufficient clearance to supply medicines. Settle the medicinal-product or active-substance route before payment, and keep arrival checks separate from regulatory batch release. Hold goods with mismatched documents, damaged seals or failed tests for investigation. See quality inspection.
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 bulk co-trimoxazole powder from China?
The supplied tariff data shows 0% under the candidate code 3003 90 00 00, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty. Confirm the code against the complete formulation and packing.
Do I need a licence to import bulk co-trimoxazole powder?
For a human medicinal product from China, confirm the applicable import licence and batch certification requirements with MHRA. A UK active-substance importer must register. Confirm which route covers your powder.
What should the co-trimoxazole powder specification include?
Identify both active ingredients, their assays and blend ratio, every excipient, impurities, uniformity, particle size, water content, analytical methods, storage conditions and retest date.
Can I sell imported bulk co-trimoxazole powder as a medicine?
Powder bought for further manufacture should be assessed for that intended use before ordering.