Sourcing cyclohexane from China

Cyclohexane duty and chemical checks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 November 2026, cyclohexane under 2902 11 00 00 carried 0% duty for goods from China. Heading 2902 covers cyclic hydrocarbons. The cyclohexane line showed no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.

The tariff attaches an export control for waste. Confirm its relevance with your customs broker, especially if the supplier describes the cargo as spent solvent or waste rather than saleable cyclohexane. Do not assume that this export measure establishes the requirements for importing waste from China.

Confirm the commodity code against the composition and batch analysis certificate; solvent blends and thinners are classified elsewhere. For other products in this heading, see toluene, xylene and styrene.

Specify cyclohexane purity and supply documents

Specify the intended use, purity, water, benzene and other impurities, colour and distillation range. Agree test methods and acceptance limits in writing rather than accepting a grade name alone. Ask for a batch analysis certificate and a representative sample.

For imports into Great Britain, confirm with HSE whether UK REACH registration or only-representative coverage applies to your annual imports. Chemicals must be correctly labelled and packaged before being placed on the market. Hazardous chemicals supplied for workplace use need safety data sheets.

Cyclohexane is a flammable dangerous good. Review the proposed transport arrangements with your carrier before loading, and agree tank cleaning, seal identification and delivery sampling with the supplier.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of cyclohexane in an ISO tank under 2902 11 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 purity: compare the delivered batch and analysis certificate with the purchase specification; use laboratory analysis to check cyclohexane purity and agreed impurities.

Water and appearance: check water content, colour and visible contamination against the agreed limits; investigate a result that differs from the loading sample.

Tank and seals: check cleaning records, seal identity, leakage and damage; compare cargo identification across the tank, delivery paperwork and batch certificate.

Supply documents: check that the safety data sheet describes the supplied chemical and that labels and packaging match the verified hazard classification.

What goes wrong

A certificate can describe a different batch, or a previous tank cargo can contaminate otherwise acceptable cyclohexane. Water or impurity levels can meet the supplier's general grade while failing your process specification. Agree batch traceability and sampling before dispatch.

Chemical paperwork also needs checking before shipment. Keep stock awaiting acceptance separate from accepted material, and investigate inconsistent documents or failed tests before release. See quality inspection for planning 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.