Sourcing cyclohexanone from China

Base duty and the purity suspension

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 19 October 2026, heading 2914 covers ketones and quinones and their specified derivatives. Cyclohexanone shares commodity code 2914 22 00 00 with methylcyclohexanones. The table shows purchasing specifications within this shared line, rather than separate commodity codes.

The base duty for goods from China is 4%. A suspension gives 0% for cyclohexanone with purity by weight of 99% or more, excluding mixtures, preparations and products made up of different components. No anti-dumping or countervailing measure is recorded for this line. The tariff also attaches an export control for waste; ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance to the proposed shipment.

Confirm the composition, chemical identity and purity evidence with your broker using finding your commodity code. Solvent blends and thinners fall under heading 3814. See the wider ketone solvents guide for related substances.

Specify cyclohexanone purity and batch evidence

Identify cyclohexanone by chemical identity, including chemical registry number 108-94-1. State whether you require virgin or recovered material, the intended process, assay, water content, acidity, colour and residue on evaporation. Agree test methods and acceptance limits in writing, and request a certificate of analysis tied to each production batch.

For Great Britain, resolve UK REACH registration coverage before ordering. Importing a substance at or over one tonne per year requires registration, subject to the applicable registration arrangements. An overseas manufacturer's appointed representative can take on importer obligations. Before placing cyclohexanone on the GB market, the importer must meet chemical classification, labelling and packaging duties. Hazardous chemicals supplied for workplace use require a safety data sheet.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of drum-packed cyclohexanone below 99% purity, using the base duty under 2914 22 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,500. Duty at 4% is £860. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £22,360, so it is £4,472. Import taxes total £5,332; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £860 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity and assay: match the batch certificate to the ordered cyclohexanone and verify purity by weight, especially when claiming the suspension.

Water and impurities: test water, acidity, colour and evaporation residue against the agreed specification; compare the impurity profile with the approved sample.

Drums and seals: check closures, gaskets, dents, corrosion, leakage and seal records before loading and again on arrival.

Documents and samples: match drum batch marks to certificates, review the safety data sheet and labels, and retain a sample from each batch.

What goes wrong

A generic solvent certificate can conceal a different impurity profile, excess water or recovered material supplied against a virgin-material order. A satisfactory assay alone does not establish that the batch will work in your coating, adhesive or other process. Test the agreed sample in the intended application and compare delivered batches against it.

Leaking closures and mismatched batch records make acceptance difficult. Another mistake is treating the base duty as the final rate without checking the purity suspension. If the material is waste, waste shipment controls apply; establish its status before shipment and have your broker confirm the requirements for goods from China.

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.