Sourcing Calcium Nitrate Fertiliser from China

Calcium nitrate fertiliser: 6% or 6.50%

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 3 October 2026, heading 3102 covers mineral or chemical nitrogenous fertilisers. Calcium nitrate and ammonium nitrate double salts and mixtures carry 6%, or 6.50% for solid fertilisers containing more than 80% ammonium nitrate. The selected residual nitrogenous fertiliser lines have the same rates. These lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.

The selected lines containing more than 80% ammonium nitrate carry the tariff's ammonium nitrate import control. Official guidance requires a detonation resistance test certificate for ammonium nitrate fertiliser with more than 28% nitrogen in consignments of 500kg or more. For qualifying shipments from China, arrival must be within 60 days of the test, Defra must receive notice at least 5 days before arrival, and certificates and batch records must be kept for at least 2 years.

The table shows composition-dependent alternatives, rather than interchangeable codes. Ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable import control and commodity code using the formulation, analysis and pack size. For related formulations, see our calcium ammonium nitrate fertiliser guide.

Specify calcium, nitrogen and dissolution

Ask the factory to identify whether the product is calcium nitrate or a double salt or mixture containing ammonium nitrate. Specify calcium, total nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, ammoniacal nitrogen, moisture and insoluble matter separately. State whether you need crystals, prills or granules, and agree particle size and resistance to caking.

For irrigation use, agree a dissolution test using your intended water and working concentration. Check residue, cloudiness and compatibility with your existing mixing process. Set acceptance criteria for chloride and sodium where these matter to your crop. Require sealed moisture-resistant liners and batch identification on the bags.

Fertiliser labels must declare the type and nutrients in the prescribed form. Chemical labelling and packaging duties also apply before placing goods on the Great Britain market. Check UK REACH coverage before ordering: registration generally applies when imports reach 1 tonne per substance per year, including substances within mixtures.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 25 tonnes of calcium nitrate and ammonium nitrate fertiliser under 3102 60 00 90, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £11,500. Duty at 6% is £690. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £12,190, so it is £2,438. Import taxes total £3,128; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £690 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Composition: independently sample the shipment and compare calcium, nitrogen forms, ammonium nitrate content and moisture with the agreed specification.

Dissolution: test the sampled lot in the intended water and record undissolved material, cloudiness and any deposits.

Packing: check liners, seals, bag weights, batch markings and evidence of dampness or hard caking before loading and on arrival.

Documents: match analysis reports and labels to the shipment, and check any required detonation resistance certificate covers the batch. Use our quality inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

A quote describes calcium nitrate, but the delivered formulation contains an undeclared ammonium nitrate component. The agreed analysis, label and customs declaration then cease to describe the same product. Resolve composition before approving production, rather than relying on the supplier's sales name.

Moisture ingress can leave caked bags, while insoluble material can make a shipment unsuitable for the intended irrigation system. Keep a retained sample, agree dissolution and packing checks, and compare arrival samples with the inspected shipment before releasing stock.

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.