Sourcing Diketopyrrolopyrrole pigments from China
Diketopyrrolopyrrole pigments from China have 6% standard UK duty under the other organic pigments line; its conditional 0% suspension needs product-specific confirmation. GB buyers must establish their UK REACH position and arrange appropriate chemical labels. Cambridge China Bridge sources diketopyrrolopyrrole pigments.
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Standard duty and conditional suspension
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 3204 covers synthetic organic colouring matter and preparations based on it. Diketopyrrolopyrrole pigments should be checked against 3204 17 00 90, the other pigments and preparations line. The table shows different buying applications under this same candidate code, rather than separate tariff subdivisions. For wider heading context, see our quinacridone pigments guide.
The supplied tariff record shows 6% standard duty from China, no anti-dumping or countervailing measure, and a conditional suspension to 0%. Its eligible-product footnote is truncated, so it does not establish eligibility for diketopyrrolopyrrole pigments. Budget at the standard rate unless your broker confirms the exact substance and suspension conditions. Confirm the commodity code using composition and supplied form.
The UK Trade Tariff attaches veterinary and waste import controls, plus a waste export control. Ask your customs broker to confirm the veterinary requirement for the actual formulation from China; the record alone does not establish what this pigment needs. For material classed as waste, confirm the applicable import route before ordering. In England, waste shipped under notification controls needs consent from the destination, dispatch and transit authorities.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diketopyrrolopyrrole pigment powder for coatings | 3204 17 00 90 | 6% | None |
Specify the pigment in your actual formulation
Specify the Colour Index identity, chemical identity, pigment content, surface treatment and whether the supply is powder or a dispersion. For dispersions, name the carrier and additives. Agree shade, tinting strength, transparency or opacity, particle-size distribution and dispersibility against a retained reference. Trial the pigment in your coating binder, printing ink or plastic resin, with your intended processing conditions.
For Great Britain, confirm with HSE when UK REACH registration is required for annual imports, including substances in mixtures; check any applicable representative coverage or transitional arrangement. Registration is per substance and legal entity. Arrange hazard labels and an English safety data sheet where required. Everyone in the supply chain is responsible for correct chemical labelling and packaging before market supply.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of diketopyrrolopyrrole pigment powder under 3204 17 00 90, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £26,000. Duty at 6% is £1,560. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £27,560, so it is £5,512. Import taxes total £7,072; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,560 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Identity: match the bag labels, batch certificate and agreed pigment identity; record any carrier or surface-treatment change.
Colour: compare full shade and tinting strength with the retained reference in the same formulation; check opacity and gloss where relevant.
Dispersion: inspect drawdowns or moulded samples for specks, agglomerates and streaks; compare processing behaviour with the approved trial.
Arrival condition: check seals, liners, moisture damage and caking; match batch numbers to certificates and retain a sample. Use our inspection guide to define the acceptance checks.
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What goes wrong
An apparently matching red powder can give a different undertone or tinting strength after dispersion. A changed surface treatment can alter wetting, viscosity or gloss. Agglomerates create specks in ink and streaks in plastic, while inadequate moisture protection leaves caked bags. Approve production material in your formulation and require agreement before identity, treatment or carrier changes.
A generic pigment certificate does not establish the registration position for your substance or the duty suspension for your shipment. Keep composition, batch evidence and chemical paperwork together, and check them before dispatch. Treat the worked order as illustrative figures, rather than a supplier quotation; see UK import duty and VAT for the calculation method.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on diketopyrrolopyrrole pigments from China?
The supplied tariff record gives 6% standard duty for 3204 17 00 90. A conditional 0% suspension exists, but its truncated product list does not confirm eligibility for these pigments.
Do I need UK REACH registration for imported pigments?
Confirm with HSE the annual-volume threshold and whether registration, applicable representative coverage or transitional arrangements apply. Check the substances in pigment mixtures individually, rather than treating the mixture as a registration.
Can I use the same pigment grade in ink and plastic?
Trial it separately. Surface treatment, dispersibility, shade and processing behaviour can suit an ink formulation but fail in your plastic resin. Specify the application and approve a retained reference.
What should I test before accepting a pigment batch?
Check identity, shade, tinting strength and dispersion in your formulation. Inspect bags for moisture damage and caking, match batch certificates to labels, and retain material for comparison.