Sourcing diphenylphosphine from China

Diphenylphosphine duty and classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2931 covers other organo-inorganic compounds. The supplied tariff extract does not name diphenylphosphine. The table shows purchasing grades sharing provisional residual code 2931 49 80 90, rather than separate tariff subdivisions. Budget its standard 6% duty for Chinese-origin goods; the extract records no anti-dumping or countervailing measure on this line.

The residual line carries 0.00% autonomous suspensions for specified substances. A suspension footnote in the supplied extract is truncated, so it does not establish diphenylphosphine eligibility. The tariff also attaches an export control for waste. Ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance to the transaction. For material imported as waste under notification controls, shipment requires consent from the destination, dispatch and transit authorities.

Confirm the commodity code using the chemical identity, composition and whether the order is neat material or a solution. Do not apply the table automatically to solvent formulations. For the wider heading, see the triphenylphosphine guide.

Specify diphenylphosphine identity and assay

Write diphenylphosphine explicitly in the purchase specification and distinguish it from triphenylphosphine and diphenylphosphine oxide. State whether you want neat material or a solution, the intended synthesis, assay method, acceptable water and oxidised impurities, and the batch certificate of analysis. Agree the closure, protective atmosphere and sampling procedure with the supplier and receiving laboratory.

For a substance you have not previously imported, assess whether UK REACH registration is required. Chemicals must be labelled and packaged correctly before market supply. A hazardous chemical supplied for workplace use needs a safety data sheet. Arrange a testing and certification review before accepting the supplier's paperwork.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 15 kg of neat diphenylphosphine for synthesis; provisional classification under 2931 49 80 90, invoiced at £3,500 free on board, with £980 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,480. Duty at 6% is £268.80. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £4,748.80, so it is £949.76. Import taxes total £1,218.56; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £268.80 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the product name and batch identifier across the container, invoice, analysis certificate and safety data sheet.

Assay: compare the batch result with the agreed method; request supporting analytical records that distinguish diphenylphosphine from oxidised impurities.

Packaging: check closures, seals, leakage and the agreed protective atmosphere arrangements without opening containers casually.

Receipt: record container condition and net quantity, and arrange controlled sampling against the agreed water, impurity and assay specification.

What goes wrong

Avoid accepting a certificate headed only 'phosphine' or treating a general purity statement as proof of suitability. A solvent formulation can be mistaken for neat material, while an assay result can conceal an unsuitable impurity profile. Specify the analytical method and test a retained sample in your intended process before approving a repeat order.

A damaged closure or unexplained change in appearance calls for investigation before use. Keep the affected batch separate and ask the supplier for an explanation and fresh analysis. Do not claim a suspension merely because the residual tariff code displays a zero rate.

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.