Epichlorohydrin and epoxides from China
Epoxides from China, including epichlorohydrin, propylene oxide, ethylene oxide, glycidol and glycidyl ethers used as epoxy reactive diluents, pay 0% UK duty on all 13 lines of heading 2910, with no anti-dumping duty. They are toxic or flammable dangerous goods, several are carcinogens, and dieldrin and endrin are banned. Cambridge China Bridge sources them.
Epichlorohydrin, propylene oxide, glycidyl ethers and other epoxides from China pay 0% UK duty. Toxic dangerous goods, CMR limits, purity checks and an example.
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, epoxides, epoxyalcohols, epoxyphenols and epoxyethers with a three-membered ring, heading 2910, carried 0% on goods from China on all thirteen lines: ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, epichlorohydrin, dieldrin, endrin, and other epoxides including glycidol, phenyl glycidyl ether and allyl glycidyl ether. No line had an anti-dumping measure.
Epoxy resins themselves are in our PET, epoxy and polyester resins guide; confirm the commodity code with the CAS number of each epoxide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxirane (ethylene oxide) | 2910 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Methyloxirane (propylene oxide) | 2910 20 00 00 | 0% | None |
| 1-Chloro-2,3-epoxypropane (epichlorohydrin) | 2910 30 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Allyl glycidyl ether | 2910 90 00 80 | 0% | None |
| Other epoxides | 2910 90 00 90 | 0% | None |
Hazards, CMR limits and banned pesticides
Epichlorohydrin ships as UN 2023, a toxic class 6.1 liquid that is also flammable, propylene oxide as UN 1280, a highly flammable class 3 liquid, and ethylene oxide as UN 1040, a toxic gas; each needs approved packaging, labels and a dangerous goods declaration. Epichlorohydrin, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and glycidol are classified carcinogens, so entries 28 to 30 of Annex XVII of UK REACH bar their supply to the general public above set concentrations.
Dieldrin and endrin are persistent organic pollutants banned under retained Regulation (EU) 2019/1021. Importing one tonne or more a year of any epoxide needs a UK REACH registration or an only representative.
Specifying epoxides
Epichlorohydrin is bought on purity by gas chromatography, water and chlorinated impurities; glycidyl ether reactive diluents on epoxy equivalent weight, viscosity, colour and hydrolysable chlorine, which set how they cure in the customer's resin system.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 16 tonnes of epichlorohydrin in drums, commodity code 2910 30 00 00, bought for £24,000 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance, so £27,500 is the value customs works from. No duty is due on epichlorohydrin; import VAT at 20% of £27,500 is £5,500. If you are VAT-registered, that VAT is normally reclaimable. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.
Inspection checklist
Purity: test epichlorohydrin and other epoxides for assay and chlorinated or glycol impurities by gas chromatography, and water by the Karl Fischer method, against the certificate for the lot.
Reactive diluents: measure epoxy equivalent weight by titration, viscosity with a rotational viscometer to ISO 2555, colour and hydrolysable chlorine, and compare with the grade the customer has qualified.
Dangerous goods: check drums are UN-approved for the class, sealed and labelled with UN 2023 or the correct UN number, toxic and flammable labels, lot and date, and that the English safety data sheet travels with the goods.
What goes wrong
Epoxides fail on purity, stability and paperwork. Epichlorohydrin with water or chlorinated by-products upsets resin production, glycidyl ethers arrive with a different epoxy equivalent or colour from the qualified lot, drums leak or corrode, and shipments are held for missing or wrong dangerous goods documents.
Test the first lot in a UK laboratory, specify packaging and dangerous goods handling in the contract, and check documents before loading. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources epichlorohydrin, glycidyl ethers and other epoxides for resin and coatings producers, checking the plant's safety and quality systems before an order. See factory verification.
Related guides: Aniline, ethylenediamine and amines from China.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on epichlorohydrin from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, epichlorohydrin (2910 30 00 00) carried 0% from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
Is epichlorohydrin dangerous goods?
Yes. It ships as UN 2023, a toxic class 6.1 liquid that is also flammable.
Can epoxides be sold to consumers?
Carcinogenic epoxides such as epichlorohydrin are restricted for the general public by UK REACH Annex XVII.
How do I compare reactive diluents?
Measure epoxy equivalent weight, viscosity and hydrolysable chlorine on each sample by the same method.