Sourcing copolyester hot-melt adhesive from China

Normally 6% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 3506 covers prepared adhesives and products put up for retail sale as adhesives in packs not exceeding 1 kg. Relevant routes for copolyester adhesives are 3506 10 00 00 for those retail packs and 3506 91 90 99 for other prepared polymer-based adhesives. The table shows powder and granule forms sharing these routes.

Both routes carry 6% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure recorded. The bulk route lists a restricted 0% suspension for specified products, including temporary wafer-bonding materials. Do not assume a copolyester grade qualifies: the supplied suspension description is incomplete. Confirm the full conditions before claiming relief. The retail route has no listed suspension.

Both routes attach waste import and export controls. For imports into England under notification controls, the Chinese exporter must seek consent from the dispatch authority. The bulk route also attaches fluorinated greenhouse gas controls; confirm the applicable requirement with your customs broker. Products containing banned fluorinated gases cannot be placed on the Great Britain market. Confirm the formulation, presentation and commodity code. For the wider heading, see the reactive polyurethane hot-melt guide.

Specify the copolyester grade and bonding process

Specify powder or granules, particle size, melting range and melt viscosity with the measurement conditions. Name the fabrics, coatings or other substrates to be bonded. Agree application temperature, pressure, dwell time and cooling conditions through trials on your equipment. For textile lamination, define acceptable handle, strike-through and bond strength after the intended washing or dry-cleaning process.

Request the formulation identity, technical data sheet, safety data sheet and batch test results. Substances and mixtures placed on the Great Britain market must be classified and labelled under the GB CLP Regulation. Assess whether substances you are importing for the first time require UK REACH registration. Review the actual grade rather than treating a supplier's generic chemical declaration as sufficient.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small-business stock order of palletised, bagged copolyester adhesive granules under 3506 91 90 99, 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 6% is £1,170. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £20,670, so it is £4,134. Import taxes total £5,304; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,170 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the grade, batch markings and accompanying documents to the approved sample and purchase specification.

Condition: inspect bag seals, moisture protection, contamination and caking; check that powder feeds and granules melt as agreed.

Processing: check melting behaviour, viscosity and application consistency using the agreed test conditions.

Bond performance: laminate the specified substrates and check peel strength, flexibility, strike-through and performance after the agreed cleaning cycle. Plan sampling through quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A sample can bond well while the production batch gives uneven coating, stiff fabric or weak seams. A changed grade, particle size or viscosity can alter feeding and wetting. Moisture or contaminated material can cause bubbles during melting. Retain an approved sample and compare each delivery using the same substrates and process settings.

A strong fresh bond may weaken after washing, dry-cleaning or heat exposure. Include the customer's actual use conditions in acceptance trials and agree how failed batches will be handled before ordering. Keep copolyester and reactive polyurethane grades clearly identified in quotations and stock records.

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.