Sourcing Carvacrol from China

Carvacrol duty and suspension

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, carvacrol under 2907 19 90 30 carries a 4% third-country duty for goods from China and an autonomous suspension to 0%. The suspension excludes mixtures, preparations and products made up of different components containing carvacrol. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty for this line.

Heading 2907 covers phenols and phenol-alcohols. The carvacrol line names 2-methyl-5-(propan-2-yl)phenol, CAS number 499-75-2. Match that identity to the supplied substance rather than relying on a trade name. See the thymol and wider heading guide for related sourcing context.

The tariff also attaches an export-side waste control. Ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance to your China import and whether the material is waste. For waste shipped under notification controls, the competent authorities of destination, dispatch and transit must consent before shipment. Confirm the commodity code using the composition and intended use.

Specify carvacrol identity and batch purity

Specify carvacrol by chemical identity, agreed assay and test method. Ask for the chromatogram as well as the certificate of analysis so the laboratory can distinguish carvacrol from thymol and other components. Agree limits for water, colour and residual solvents, and state whether natural or synthetic origin matters to your process.

State the intended industrial use and agree container material, closures and storage instructions. Confirm with HSE the UK REACH registration duties applicable to your annual imports of the substance. Chemicals must be correctly labelled and packaged before market supply; a safety data sheet is required when a hazardous chemical is supplied for workplace use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 25 kg of carvacrol in sealed chemical containers under 2907 19 90 30, invoiced at £1,800 free on board, with £980 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,780. Duty at 4% is £111.20. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,891.20, so it is £578.24. Import taxes total £689.44; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £111.20 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the order, container labels and batch certificate to carvacrol, CAS number 499-75-2.

Analysis: compare batch assay, chromatogram, water, colour and residual solvents with the agreed specification; retain a labelled sample.

Containers: inspect seals, closures, leaks and contamination around drum openings before releasing stock.

Documents: match batch references across the invoice, packing list, certificate and safety data sheet; check that handling instructions describe the supplied material.

What goes wrong

A certificate reporting only total phenols can leave the actual carvacrol content unclear. Material containing thymol or other components may miss the buyer's assay or behave differently in the process. Specify how identity and assay will be tested, then compare the delivered batch with the approved sample.

Diluted material can also invalidate the assumption that the named substance's duty suspension applies. Leaking closures or mismatched batch paperwork make acceptance harder. Hold affected stock while the supplier and laboratory resolve the discrepancy, rather than blending it into accepted material.

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.