Sourcing Encaustic Paint Blocks from China

0% duty on sets and separate blocks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 3213 covers artists', students' and signboard painters' colours in tablets and similar forms or packings. For encaustic paint blocks classified here, colours in sets use 3213 10 00 00 and other presentations use 3213 90 00 00. Both carry 0% duty on goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duties and no suspensions.

Both lines attach import and export waste controls. Environment Agency guidance for England says waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. For any consignment from China that may be waste, the importer should confirm the applicable requirements with their customs broker before dispatch.

The table shows product presentations sharing the available tariff lines. Confirm the commodity code using the composition, intended artistic use and packing. For the wider heading, see artists' oil colours. Zero customs duty does not remove import VAT; see UK import duty and VAT.

Specify the wax blend and heated colour

Describe blocks intended to be melted for encaustic painting. Specify the wax type, any resin or other binder, pigment identity, block weight, dimensions and individual wrapping. Agree the intended melting and application conditions with the supplier. Keep an approved sample of each colour and compare heated paint as well as the solid block.

Ask for formulation information for each colour, including additives and any solvent content. Chemical classification is required regardless of quantity supplied. Products must be correctly labelled and packaged before sale in Great Britain. For hazardous artists' colours, confirm hazard-label and safety-data-sheet requirements with HSE or your chemical adviser. Agree any supporting checks through testing and certification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2,000 individually packed encaustic paint blocks under 3213 90 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

Colour and dispersion: melt samples under the agreed conditions and compare applied swatches with the retained reference. Check for pigment specks, sediment, uneven opacity and changes after cooling.

Wax and handling: compare melting behaviour, flow and the cooled surface with the approved sample. Check for unexpected separation, excessive brittleness or a greasy surface.

Weight and packing: weigh sampled blocks, inspect cracks and chipped edges, and check that wrappers release cleanly. Look for distorted blocks, fused surfaces and staining inside cartons.

Identity and documents: match colour names, batch references, formulation information, labels and applicable safety data sheets. Keep arrival samples for comparison with later deliveries; see quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A block can match the approved colour while cold but give weaker or uneven colour when melted. Changes to the wax blend can alter flow and the cooled finish. Poor pigment dispersion leaves specks or sediment, while warm handling can distort blocks or make them stick to their wrappers.

A generic safety data sheet can also describe a different pigment or binder from the delivered colour. Agree the formulation, heated swatch, packing and document checks before production, and require approval before ingredient substitutions.

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.