Sourcing cable-filling petroleum jelly from China

Zero duty on petroleum jelly

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2712 covers petroleum jelly and mineral waxes. Both petroleum jelly lines carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for these jelly lines.

The table includes petroleum jelly and wax ingredients that a cable compound producer might buy separately. The listed ingredient lines also carry 0% duty. The paraffin wax line has a 0.00 % autonomous suspension, whose footnote excludes mixtures, preparations and products made up of different components containing the listed products. See the wider wax and petroleum jelly guide.

Confirm the commodity code using the composition, refining status and additives. A cable-filling trade name does not establish that a prepared compound belongs in a petroleum jelly line. The wider guide distinguishes prepared waxes and wax blends with additives from heading 2712. Give your broker the formulation and technical data before declaring the goods.

Specify the jelly for your cable construction

State whether the jelly fills spaces around insulated conductors or another part of the cable. Specify composition, refining status, additives, congealing or drop melting point, needle penetration and viscosity at the filling temperature. Agree acceptance tests for oil separation, dripping, water penetration and compatibility with the actual insulation and sheath materials. Approve a sample through your filling process before accepting the production formulation.

Check UK REACH registration against annual imports and confirm the applicable registration threshold with HSE. Registration is per substance and legal entity. Obtain a safety data sheet and review the hazard classification: a sheet is required for hazardous chemicals supplied for workplace use. Before selling in Great Britain, ensure the substance or mixture is correctly labelled and packaged.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 tonnes of cable-filling petroleum jelly in drums, illustrative order under 2712 10 90 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

Batch identity: match drum markings, formulation revision and batch numbers to the certificate of analysis and approved sample.

Filling behaviour: compare penetration, melting behaviour and viscosity with the agreed specification, using the agreed test conditions.

Cable compatibility: test contact with the actual insulation and sheath materials; check swelling, softening, oil migration and water-blocking performance.

Arrival condition: inspect seals, leakage, water ingress and contamination; sample for separation before releasing the lot. Arrange quality inspection against the agreed checks.

What goes wrong

A jelly can match the sample's appearance yet separate during storage, drain from a warm cable or become difficult to pump when cold. Changes to the oil, wax or additive balance can alter filling behaviour. Dirt or moisture in damaged drums can also enter the filling system. Keep an approved sample and compare each batch under the same agreed conditions.

Compatibility failures may appear after prolonged contact rather than during incoming inspection. Trial the jelly with your actual cable materials and investigate swelling or oil migration before releasing the order. Require the supplier to disclose formulation changes and obtain approval before substitution.

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.