Sourcing Chloroacetaldehyde from China

Chloroacetaldehyde duty: 0%

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 2913 covers halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives of products of heading 2912. Its residual line, 2913 00 00 90, carries 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied facts list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for that line.

The tariff attaches an export control for waste. Official guidance says waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. Ask your customs broker to confirm the attached measure's relevance to your shipment, particularly if the material is recovered or being returned as waste.

Use the full composition and intended presentation to confirm the commodity code before declaring chloroacetaldehyde. The other supplied tariff lines name different chemicals, so only the residual line is shown here. For the wider heading, see chloral hydrate sourcing.

Specify the chloroacetaldehyde solution

State whether you want an aqueous solution or another supplied form. Agree the chloroacetaldehyde assay, how concentration is expressed, test method, water content, acidity, impurity profile and any stabiliser. Ask the factory to identify additives explicitly and provide a batch certificate of analysis rather than a generic specification sheet.

Before ordering, establish whether your import requires UK REACH registration. Substances and mixtures must be correctly labelled and packaged before being placed on the Great Britain market. Request a safety data sheet matching the actual composition, and agree storage conditions, packaging compatibility and transport arrangements with the supplier and carrier.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 drums of aqueous chloroacetaldehyde under 2913 00 00 90, invoiced at £21,000 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £24,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,500, so it is £4,900. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the purchase specification, batch certificate, safety data sheet and drum labels to chloroacetaldehyde and the supplied solution.

Concentration: arrange representative sampling by a competent laboratory and compare assay, acidity and agreed impurities against the purchase specification.

Packaging: check closures, seals, leakage, visible damage and net contents against the packing list before accepting the delivery.

Traceability: match drum batch references to the certificate of analysis and retain the inspection results with the supplier's storage instructions.

What goes wrong

A quotation for chloroacetaldehyde can leave the solution strength or concentration basis unclear. Comparing drum prices without comparing composition can therefore mean buying a different amount of active material. Avoid accepting a generic aldehyde certificate that does not identify the supplied product and batch.

Treat unexpected appearance, sediment, leaking closures or analytical results outside the agreed specification as reasons to hold acceptance and investigate. Agree the sampling method and rejection criteria before shipment so that a disputed batch can be assessed against the purchase specification.

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.