Sourcing diagnostic and lab reagents from China
Diagnostic and laboratory reagents from China, including test kits and reference materials, pay 0% UK duty, with no anti-dumping duty. Reagents sold for diagnosis are in vitro diagnostic medical devices needing UKCA or CE marking and MHRA registration, while research-use-only reagents must be labelled and sold as such. Cambridge China Bridge sources them.
Diagnostic and laboratory reagents on a backing or prepared, test kits and reference materials pay 0% UK duty from China. IVD rules explained.
Zero duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, diagnostic or laboratory reagents on a backing or prepared, including those for malaria, Zika and other Aedes-borne diseases, blood grouping and other uses, and other reagents and certified reference materials of heading 3822, carried 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.
Antisera and vaccines are in heading 3002, covered in the vaccines guide. Confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| For malaria | 3822 11 00 00 | 0% | None |
| For Zika and other Aedes-borne diseases | 3822 12 00 00 | 0% | None |
| For blood-grouping | 3822 13 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Other diagnostic reagents on a backing, other | 3822 19 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Other reagents and reference materials | 3822 90 00 00 | 0% | None |
In vitro diagnostic rules
Reagents and kits intended for diagnosis are in vitro diagnostic medical devices under the Medical Devices Regulations 2002. They need UKCA or CE marking under the IVD rules, a UK Responsible Person where the maker is overseas, and MHRA registration before being placed on the Great Britain market; see medical products. Reagents for research only must be labelled research use only and not marketed for diagnosis.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 500 diagnostic test kits under 3822 19 00 90, invoiced at £5,000 free on board, with £300 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,300. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,300, so it is £1,060. 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.
What goes wrong
Reagents fail through the cold chain and the paperwork. Enzymes and antibodies lose activity if shipped warm, kits expire in customs if dates are short, and sensitivity and specificity claims that are not backed by a performance evaluation make the product unsaleable as an IVD.
Ask for the performance evaluation or validation data, instructions for use in English, lot-specific certificates and expiry dates with enough remaining life. At inspection, check storage temperature records, labelling and kit completeness.
Cambridge China Bridge sources diagnostic kits and laboratory reagents, with IVD status, cold chain and documents settled before the order. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on diagnostic test kits from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, diagnostic and laboratory reagents of heading 3822 carried 0% duty from China.
Are diagnostic kits medical devices?
Yes when intended for diagnosis. They are IVDs needing UKCA or CE marking and MHRA registration.
Can research reagents be sold without marking?
Only if labelled research use only and not marketed for diagnosis.
What makes a reagent shipment fail?
Warm transport, short expiry dates and missing performance data.