Sourcing Cyanoacrylate Adhesives from China

6% for ordinary cyanoacrylate adhesives

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 3506 covers prepared glues and adhesives, including retail adhesive packs with a net weight not exceeding 1 kg. The table shows pack formats sharing the same retail code. For bulk formulations, confirm classification from composition and presentation rather than assuming the retail code applies.

The retail line carries 6% duty for goods from China, with no recorded trade remedy or suspension. Elsewhere in this heading, specialised display adhesives carry 0%, and named products have suspensions; these are not a general relief for super glue. The tariff also attaches waste import and export controls, and fluorinated-gas import controls to some other lines. Confirm any attached control with your customs broker before shipping.

Waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. For adhesive waste from China, confirm the applicable requirement with your customs broker before ordering. Check the commodity code using the formulation, intended use and pack weight. See the wider glues and adhesives guide for other products within this heading.

Specify viscosity, substrates and shelf life

Specify liquid or gel, viscosity, colour, intended substrates, surface preparation, application method and the test conditions for fixture time and cured bond strength. Agree an approved sample and acceptance criteria on your actual materials. Include nozzle design, cap seal, fill weight, storage conditions and remaining shelf life at arrival.

For Great Britain, confirm the applicable cyanoacrylate adhesive warnings with HSE, including wording about bonding skin and eyes in seconds and keeping them out of children's reach. Check the English hazard label and safety data sheet against the supplied formulation before printing. UK REACH registration applies to substances in mixtures, so assess the ingredients rather than treating the adhesive blend as a single registration.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative stock order of retail cyanoacrylate tubes for a repair-supplies distributor under 3506 10 00 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 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

Condition: check unopened samples for leakage, hardened contents, blocked nozzles and caps that fail to reseal.

Performance: compare viscosity, dispensing, fixture time and cured bond strength with the approved sample on the agreed substrates.

Shelf life: reconcile batch records, manufacture dates and declared storage conditions with the agreed remaining shelf life.

Labels: check the English hazard information, cyanoacrylate warning and matching safety data sheet. Record findings through a quality inspection.

What goes wrong

Age and heat can leave super glue hardened in its container. A sample that bonds the factory's test material may still fail on your coated, oily or poorly fitting parts. Test the actual joint and agree storage and stock-age limits before ordering.

A changed formulation can make the approved sample, performance claim and paperwork inconsistent. Require the supplier to identify formulation changes before production, and review the label and safety data sheet for the product actually supplied.

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.