Sourcing Cumene from China

Cumene duty and tariff controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, cumene under 2902 70 00 00 in heading 2902, cyclic hydrocarbons, carries 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches an export control for waste to this line. Waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. If buying recovered or spent material from China, ask your customs broker to confirm its waste status and the applicable requirements before shipment.

Confirm the commodity code against the actual composition and batch analysis. Solvent blends are classified elsewhere. For another product within the wider heading, see ethylbenzene from China.

Specify cumene composition and registration coverage

Specify cumene identity, intended use, minimum assay and agreed limits for water, benzene, other aromatic impurities and colour. Request a batch certificate of analysis stating the test methods. Agree sampling, independent testing and acceptance criteria before loading.

A business importing a substance into Great Britain at or above one tonne per year must address UK REACH registration. Establish who covers your imports before ordering. For a new registration without applicable transitional provisions, complete registration is required before imports reach that quantity.

Importers placing chemicals on the Great Britain market have chemical classification, labelling and packaging duties. Classification and labelling must be carried out by someone with scientific competence. Arrange that review before approving the supplier's labels and packaging.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of cumene in an ISO tank under 2902 70 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £21,000, so it is £4,200. 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 and assay: match the purchase specification, batch certificate and independently tested sample; check the agreed aromatic impurity limits.

Water and colour: test representative samples against the agreed specification rather than accepting a generic supplier certificate.

Tank and seals: check cleaning records, previous cargo information, seal identity and signs of leakage or contamination before unloading.

Documents and labels: match batch identifiers across the cargo and analysis certificate; obtain the English safety data sheet and arrange a competent review of classification, labels and packaging.

What goes wrong

Cumene purchases can fail when the certificate describes a different batch, an aromatic impurity exceeds the agreed limit, or residue from previous tank cargo contaminates the load. A clear-looking liquid does not establish identity or purity.

Agree tank cleanliness, representative sampling and how disputed results will be resolved. Keep suspect cargo separate pending assessment, and retain loading and arrival samples. Use the quality inspection guide to plan the checks.

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.