Sourcing dimethyl carbonate from China

Dimethyl carbonate duty and suspension

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 November 2026, heading 2920 covers esters of other inorganic acids of non-metals and their salts. Dimethyl carbonate has the dedicated code 2920 90 10 40 and chemical identity 616-38-6. The other table rows are related carbonate solvents and additives for comparison, rather than alternative codes for dimethyl carbonate.

The recorded duty for goods from China is 6%, with an autonomous tariff suspension to 0%. The suspension excludes mixtures, preparations and products made up of different components containing the substance. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty is recorded for this line. Confirm the suspension claim with your customs broker before shipment.

The tariff attaches dangerous-chemical export and waste-export controls. Ask your customs broker to confirm their relevance to the shipment; do not assume these entries require an import licence for fresh dimethyl carbonate from China. HSE states that imports have no prior informed consent notification obligation. Confirm the commodity code using the composition and chemical identity; see the wider heading guide.

Specify dimethyl carbonate by batch and use

State whether the material is for battery electrolyte production or another solvent application. Specify assay by gas chromatography, water content, acidity, metal impurities and colour, with agreed test methods and acceptance limits. Require a certificate of analysis for each batch, and agree sealed, nitrogen-blanketed packaging where appropriate to the specification.

For Great Britain, confirm with HSE whether UK REACH registration or coverage through an only representative applies to your annual imports of the substance. Obtain the English safety data sheet and check classification, labels and packaging before supply. Dimethyl carbonate is a flammable solvent, so agree dangerous goods packaging and declarations with the freight provider.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: one tonne of dimethyl carbonate; confirm the suspension before calculating duty under 2920 90 10 40, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £980 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,480. Duty at 6% is £208.80. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,688.80, so it is £737.76. Import taxes total £946.56; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £208.80 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the purchase order, batch certificate, safety data sheet and drum labels to dimethyl carbonate.

Laboratory: independently check assay, water by Karl Fischer titration, acidity and metals against the agreed limits.

Packaging: check seals, closures, leakage and batch markings on arrival, and compare the packaging with the agreed transport specification.

Documents: check the UK REACH route, English safety data sheet and suspension claim against the actual goods.

What goes wrong

A battery-grade description without agreed water and metal limits leaves acceptance unclear. Poor sealing can increase moisture, while a supplier's batch certificate may not represent the delivered material. Compare an independently tested arrival sample with the agreed specification before releasing stock.

A formulated electrolyte cannot inherit the suspension simply because it contains dimethyl carbonate. Keep the composition clear in customs documents. If a consignment is waste and notification controls apply, shipment requires consent from the competent authorities of dispatch, destination and transit. Confirm the waste route with your broker before arranging movement.

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.