Sourcing dental bite wax from China

Duty on dental bite registration wax

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 3407 covers dental wax and impression compounds in sets, retail packings, plates, horseshoe shapes, sticks or similar forms, alongside modelling pastes and plaster-based dental preparations. Dental bite registration wax falls within this family when its presentation matches the heading.

The supplied tariff record contains only commodity code 3407 00 00 00, carrying 0% duty for goods from China. It lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control. This tariff position does not replace the medical-device rules for clinical products.

Confirm the formulation, intended use and supplied form with your customs broker using our commodity code guide. For the wider product family, see dental modelling wax.

Specify softening and bite-record stability

Specify bite registration as the intended use, rather than denture modelling. Agree the formulation, sheet or horseshoe dimensions, thickness tolerance, colour, pack contents and storage conditions. Describe how the wax should soften, accept an impression and hold its shape after cooling. Approve a sample using the buyer's intended handling method.

Confirm with MHRA whether the clinical dental wax falls within the Medical Devices Regulations 2002. If it is a medical device, it must be registered with MHRA before placement on the Great Britain market. A manufacturer outside the UK must appoint a UK Responsible Person to register and act on its behalf.

Ask for the declared conformity route, declaration of conformity and supporting technical evidence matched to the exact wax formulation and intended use. Agree the instructions, batch identification and shelf-life information before printing packaging.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of boxed dental bite registration wax for a dental distributor under 3407 00 00 00, invoiced at £20,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £22,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £22,500, so it is £4,500. 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

Form and packing: check thickness and dimensions against the specification, count pack contents, and inspect for fused sheets, bent horseshoes, cracks and damaged separators.

Handling: soften samples according to the instructions and compare pliability, tackiness and cooling behaviour with the approved sample.

Record stability: make impressions on a test fixture, then compare shape after cooling, removal and storage. Check for spring-back, distortion and brittle edges.

Documents and labels: match the product name, formulation, batch details, instructions and conformity documents to the delivered stock. Confirm device registration before supply.

What goes wrong

A general modelling wax may look suitable but soften unevenly, resist an impression or distort after removal. Heat during transport can fuse sheets or deform horseshoe shapes. Compare arrival samples with the retained approved sample before releasing the batch.

Documents describing a different formulation or intended use do not establish what you have bought. Resolve discrepancies before supply, and agree storage and transport conditions with the manufacturer. Use our quality inspection guide to define the batch 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.