Sourcing calcium propionate from China

Calcium propionate: 4% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, calcium propionate falls within the supplied line 2915 50 00 00 for propionic acid, its salts and esters, within heading 2915. The line carries 4% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no listed suspension. The table shows purchasing variants under the same commodity line.

The supplied tariff attaches an Export control - Waste measure. This is labelled as an export control. If the consignment involves waste rather than saleable product, ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable requirements before shipment.

Confirm the commodity code using the composition and product description, particularly for blends or preparations. See the wider acid and acetate guide for other products within this heading.

Specify grade, assay and particle form

State whether the order is for food or technical use, and specify powder or granules. Agree assay, moisture, particle size, insoluble material and impurity acceptance criteria with the supplier, together with test methods. Request a batch-specific certificate of analysis and keep an approved sample for comparison.

Food additives need authorisation before being placed on the Great Britain market. Most have restrictions on the foods and quantities in which they can be used, and must comply with specification requirements. Check the calcium propionate entry in the food additive register against your intended use; a supplier's food-grade description alone does not establish compliance.

Agree sealed inner packaging, batch identification and storage instructions. Trial the offered particle form in your mixing process before approving bulk supply. Use testing and certification support to agree the sampling and laboratory brief.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 15 tonnes of food-grade calcium propionate under 2915 50 00 00, invoiced at £21,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £23,500. Duty at 4% is £940. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,440, so it is £4,888. Import taxes total £5,828; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £940 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match calcium propionate, grade and batch identification across the order, bags and analysis certificate.

Analysis: compare assay, moisture and impurity results with the agreed specification; check that the report covers the delivered batch.

Condition: inspect seals and liners for damage, dampness, contamination and hard lumps; compare particle form with the approved sample.

Application: test dispersal and mixing in your process before releasing the batch for production.

What goes wrong

A food-grade order can arrive with a generic analysis certificate that cannot be tied to the bags. Powder and granules can also be substituted without agreement, changing dosing or mixing behaviour. Hold affected material while identity, batch results and conformity with the purchase specification are checked.

Moisture ingress can leave hard lumps or damaged packaging. Photograph the affected bags, preserve representative samples and record the batch details. Agree a resolution before mixing disputed material into usable 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.