Sourcing Egg Tempera Paints from China
Egg tempera paints from China carry 0% UK duty, whether supplied in sets or separately under heading 3213. Adult artists' paints fall under general product safety and chemical labelling rules. Confirm the actual egg binder and ask APHA about the finished formulation before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources egg tempera paints.
0% duty on sets and separate paints
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 3213 covers artists', students' and signboard painters' colours in tubes, jars and similar packaging. Egg tempera paints supplied in sets fall under 3213 10 00 00; other presentations fall under 3213 90 00 00. Both carry 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension shown.
The tariff attaches import and export waste controls to both codes. For a shipment from China to England that falls under waste notification controls, consent is needed from the dispatch, destination and transit authorities before shipment. Ask your customs broker to confirm whether the control applies to the consignment and which documents are needed.
The table repeats the available codes for different packaging formats; these are not separate tariff subdivisions. Confirm the formulation and packaging through finding your commodity code. See the gouache paints guide for the wider heading.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egg tempera paints in tube sets | 3213 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Egg tempera paints in individual tubes | 3213 90 00 00 | 0% | None |
Specify the egg binder and painting behaviour
Ask for the complete formulation, identifying the egg ingredient, its source and processing, pigments, preservatives and any added oil or synthetic binder. Put the agreed composition in the purchase specification. Do not accept the word tempera alone as proof of an egg-based product. Send the formulation and manufacturing details to APHA and ask which import conditions, if any, apply to the finished paint from China.
Agree colour references, pigment identity, consistency, pack fill, storage instructions and the supplier's shelf-life evidence. Compare brush application and dried films on the intended prepared surface, including layering and adhesion. Ask Trading Standards to confirm the product safety rules applicable to adult artists' paints, and ask HSE to confirm the hazard-labelling requirements for the formulation. Chemical classification is the supplier's responsibility, including the importer, and labelling and packaging must be correct before sale.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative mixed-colour egg tempera tube sets for an art-materials retailer under 3213 10 00 00, invoiced at £2,000 free on board, with £540 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,540. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,540, so it is £508. 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
Binder and batch: compare ingredient records with the approved formulation and match batch identifiers across packs and paperwork.
Paint condition: open sampled packs and check for mould, unusual odour, skin formation, grit and separation that does not remix.
Colour and film: compare wet application and dried swatches with retained samples; check brush flow, layering, cracking and adhesion on the agreed surface.
Packs and documents: check seals, leakage, fill and storage instructions; compare hazard labels and any required safety data sheet with the actual formulation.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
A supplier may offer school tempera against an egg tempera brief, substitute the binder or alter pigment blends between batches. A matching wet colour can conceal a different dried shade or painting response. Include formulation approval and retained dried swatches in the order, and inspect production samples against them.
Watch for spoilage, hardened paint around closures, persistent separation and leaking packs. Avoid approving shelf-life claims from a fresh sample alone: ask for storage-test records and examine retained samples. Resolve the egg ingredient's import position before committing to production rather than treating the tariff code as approval of the formulation.
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 egg tempera paints from China?
Both available lines carry 0% duty: 3213 10 00 00 for colours in sets and 3213 90 00 00 for other presentations. The supplied tariff snapshot shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duty.
How do I check that tempera paint really contains egg?
Request the complete formulation and egg ingredient records. Agree the binder composition in writing and compare production records with the approved sample; the product name alone is insufficient.
Does the egg binder need an import check?
Send APHA the egg ingredient's source, processing and finished formulation, and ask which conditions apply to imports from China. Resolve this before ordering.
What should I inspect when egg tempera paints arrive?
Check seals, leakage, fill, batch identity, mould, grit and separation. Compare dried colour, brush flow, layering and adhesion with approved samples on the intended surface.