Cellulose ethers, HPMC and CMC from China
Cellulose ethers from China, such as HPMC for tile adhesives and capsules and CMC for food, detergents and drilling, carry a 6% base UK duty with no anti-dumping duty, but hypromellose (HPMC) has a 0% suspension to the end of 2028 and hydroxypropylcellulose is 0%. Grades differ by viscosity and substitution. Cambridge China Bridge sources cellulose ethers.
HPMC, CMC and other cellulose ethers from China: 6% base UK duty, hypromellose suspended to 0% to 2028. Grades, viscosity tests, food rules and an example.
Rates and suspensions
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, cellulose and its chemical derivatives of heading 3912 carried a base duty of 6% on goods from China on most lines, with no anti-dumping measure. Hydroxypropylcellulose (3912 39 20 00) was 0%.
Suspensions change the answer for the most traded grades. Hypromellose (HPMC, CAS RN 9004-65-3) entered under 3912 39 85 90 has a 0% suspension to 31 December 2028, claimed with document code 9Y12, and the line for hypromellose used to make food supplements is suspended too; ethylcellulose, polyquaternium-10 and listed cellulose acetates also have 0% suspensions. CMC and its salts pay 6%, or 0% where the product is a listed pharmaceutical substance. Methyl hydroxyethyl cellulose (MHEC) used in dry-mix mortars is not hypromellose, so check the chemistry and commodity code before assuming 0%.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carboxymethylcellulose and its salts | 3912 31 00 00 | 6% (0% for listed pharmaceutical substances) | None |
| Hydroxypropylcellulose | 3912 39 20 00 | 0% | None |
| Ethylcellulose, not plasticised | 3912 39 85 10 | 0% (suspended to 2028) | None |
| Other cellulose ethers, including hypromellose | 3912 39 85 90 | 6% (hypromellose 0%, suspended to 2028) | None |
Grades and food rules
Cellulose ethers are bought on viscosity of a stated solution strength and method, degree of substitution, moisture, ash, pH and particle size, and for construction grades on water retention and open time in the finished mortar or tile adhesive. Put the grade, test method and limits in the product specification, because two products sold as the same viscosity can be measured differently.
Food grades are additives: methyl cellulose is E461, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose E464 and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose E466, and they must meet the specifications for authorised additives, which the Food Standards Agency lists in its [register of authorised food additives](https://data.food.gov.uk/regulated-products/food_authorisations). Pharmaceutical and capsule grades are bought against the pharmacopoeia monograph, and an importer of more than one tonne a year should check [UK REACH](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-comply-with-reach-chemical-regulations).
Worked duty example
Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 18 tonnes of technical-grade CMC in 25 kg bags under 3912 31 00 00. At £27,000 free on board and £1,800 to ship and insure, the customs value is £28,800. Carboxymethylcellulose at 6% pay £1,728 of duty; VAT is then worked out on value plus duty, £30,528, giving £6,105.60. Of the £7,833.60 paid at import, only the £1,728 of duty stays a cost for a VAT-registered business. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.
What goes wrong
Cellulose ethers fail on viscosity, grade and purity. Viscosity measured by the supplier's method does not match the buyer's; a product sold as HPMC is a blend with cheaper starch ether or filler, so water retention and open time fall; food or pharmaceutical claims are made for industrial grade; and moisture or lumps form in bags on a long voyage.
Test viscosity by the agreed method and concentration on each lot, check substitution, moisture, ash and pH against the certificate of analysis, run the buyer's own mortar, adhesive or food application test before release, confirm food or pharmaceutical certification for those grades, and inspect bags for damage and caking.
Cambridge China Bridge sources cellulose ethers for construction chemical, food, pharmaceutical and detergent makers, including a second supplier to test against an existing grade. See how we add a second supplier.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on HPMC from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, hypromellose under 3912 39 85 90 had a 0% suspension to the end of 2028 on a 6% base rate.
Is CMC suspended too?
No. Carboxymethylcellulose and its salts carried 6% from China, or 0% for listed pharmaceutical substances.
How do I check an HPMC grade matches the sample?
Test viscosity by the same method and concentration, check substitution, moisture and ash, and run your own mortar or adhesive test.
Which E numbers cover cellulose ethers?
Methyl cellulose is E461, HPMC E464 and sodium CMC E466.