Sourcing castor oil from China

Castor oil duty by intended use

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 1515 covers fixed vegetable or microbial oils and their fractions, whether refined or not, but not chemically modified. Its castor-oil lines are 1515 30 90 00 at 4% and 1515 30 10 00 at 0%. The latter specifies production of aminoundecanoic acid for manufacturing synthetic textile fibres or artificial plastic materials. The supplied facts contain only these castor-oil lines.

The China tariff facts list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for either castor-oil line. Both attach waste import and export controls. For oil from China that is waste, confirm the applicable requirement with your customs broker before shipment. For imports into England under notification controls, the exporter must apply for consent to the competent authority in the dispatch country.

Give your broker the composition, processing history and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Do not select the specialised production-use line simply because the oil is industrial grade. For other oils within the wider heading, see our sesame oil and tung oil guide.

Specify castor oil for its actual application

State whether you need crude or refined oil, the extraction process, intended application and whether any chemical modification or blending has occurred. Agree a fatty acid profile, including ricinoleic acid, plus viscosity at an agreed test temperature, acid value, moisture, insoluble impurities, colour and odour. Specify test methods and acceptance criteria rather than accepting a supplier's grade name.

For cosmetic manufacture, ask for ingredient identity, impurity information and batch traceability. If selling the oil itself as a finished cosmetic in Great Britain, its safety must be checked by a qualified safety assessor before it is made available to consumers. Agree the drum material, closure, storage conditions and batch identification before ordering.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of unmodified castor oil in sealed drums under 1515 30 90 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £19,500. Duty at 4% is £780. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £20,280, so it is £4,056. Import taxes total £4,836; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £780 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step. This assumes the goods are standard-rated for VAT. Most food for human consumption is zero-rated, and animal feed can be too, in which case no import VAT is due, so check the rate for your product in HMRC's VAT Notice 701/14.

Inspection checklist

Identity: compare an independently tested fatty acid profile with the agreed specification and approved sample; investigate evidence of blending.

Batch properties: check viscosity, acid value, moisture and insoluble impurities against the purchase specification, matching the analysis certificate to the delivered batch.

Drums: inspect seals, closures, leakage, corrosion and cleanliness; check net contents and keep photographs before unloading.

Traceability: match drum batch markings to the packing list and analysis certificate, retain a sealed arrival sample and record any difference in colour or odour.

What goes wrong

A sample can perform well while the delivered batch differs in viscosity, moisture or acidity. Blending, residual contamination and inconsistent refining can make the oil unsuitable for the buyer's process. Agree independent batch testing before shipment and compare arrival samples with the approved sample using the same methods.

A generic analysis certificate can conceal batch differences, while damaged closures allow leakage or contamination. Quarantine suspect drums pending investigation. A supplier's description of 'cosmetic grade' also does not replace the qualified safety assessment needed when supplying a finished cosmetic to consumers in Great Britain.

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.