Sourcing carpet-cleaning shampoos from China

4% duty on carpet-cleaning preparations

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 3402 covers surface-active agents, washing preparations and cleaning preparations, whether or not containing soap, excluding goods of heading 3401. For carpet shampoos, distinguish finished cleaning preparations from surface-active preparations and ingredients. The table shows candidate lines, rather than interchangeable codes.

The listed cleaning-preparation lines carry 4% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control recorded. The adjacent surface-active line 3402 90 10 90 also carries 4% but lists a conditional 0.00 % suspension. Do not assume that suspension covers a finished shampoo. Elsewhere in the heading, the tariff attaches waste import controls; waste shipment controls apply only to waste. Confirm any China-origin waste shipment requirements with your customs broker.

Give your broker the composition, intended use and packaging to confirm the commodity code. Retail cleaning preparations appear under 3402 50 90 00 and other cleaning preparations under 3402 90 90 00. Our industrial degreasers guide covers the wider heading.

Specify the carpet and cleaning method

State whether the shampoo is for extraction machines, rotary shampooing or manual cleaning. Specify the carpet fibres and backing, dilution instructions, water hardness, foam behaviour, rinsing method, fragrance and dried residue. Agree cleaning and colourfastness trials on representative carpet samples, including wool where claimed. Ask for the complete formulation, surfactant biodegradability test evidence, storage guidance and an approved sample.

Mixtures placed on the Great Britain market must be classified and labelled under the applicable chemical classification rules. Hazardous products supplied for use at work need a safety data sheet. For consumer detergents, an edited ingredient data sheet must be available on a website. Ask HSE to confirm any ingredient registration responsibilities under UK REACH for your formulation and import tonnage, and agree the documents before approving the artwork.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative pallet of bottled carpet-cleaning shampoo under 3402 50 90 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £2,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,700. Duty at 4% is £188. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £4,888, so it is £977.60. Import taxes total £1,165.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £188 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Formulation: compare batch composition, acidity or alkalinity, viscosity, colour and fragrance with the agreed specification. Check for separation, sediment or an unexpected odour.

Cleaning: use the agreed dilution, water and machine on matched soiled carpet samples. Check soil removal, foam recovery and rinsing against the approved sample.

Carpet compatibility: check dye transfer, colour change, pile feel, backing damage and sticky residue after drying. Repeat the trial on each fibre type claimed.

Packs and documents: check fill quantity, cap seals, leakage, batch identification and dilution instructions. Match hazard labels and the safety data sheet to the formulation, and verify the consumer ingredient website. Agree sampling through our quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

An extraction shampoo that foams excessively can fill the recovery tank before cleaning is finished. A product that looks effective while wet may leave sticky residue after drying, or change the colour and feel of the pile. Fragrance can mask an unstable formulation. Compare dried results as well as immediate cleaning, and check stored samples for separation and odour changes.

A changed formula can make the approved sample, labels and documents inconsistent. Leaking closures can damage cartons and obscure batch identification. Freeze the formulation and artwork before production, retain batch samples and repeat the agreed carpet trials when ingredients change. Ask HSE to assess proposed disinfectant claims before approving them.

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.