Sourcing fumaric acid from China

Fumaric acid duty and classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 November 2026, heading 2917 covers polycarboxylic acids and their derivatives. The relevant residual line is 2917 19 80 90. The table presents purchasing specifications sharing that line, rather than separate tariff subheadings.

The supplied record shows 6% duty for goods from China and no anti-dumping or countervailing measure. Its suspension names other substances, not fumaric acid. The UK Trade Tariff also attaches an export control for waste. Ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance if the consignment is waste or material intended for recovery.

Confirm the chemical identity, composition and commodity code before shipment, particularly for blends or salts. See the wider acids and phthalates guide. Confirm any UK REACH registration responsibilities with HSE before importing.

Specify fumaric acid grade and particle size

State whether the order is for industrial processing or a proposed food application. Agree assay, moisture, colour, ash, maleic acid impurity and particle-size acceptance criteria with the manufacturer. Ask for the test methods and a batch certificate of analysis rather than accepting a generic product sheet.

For a proposed food application, request an assessment of suitability for the intended food and supporting purity evidence before ordering. For processing, trial the sample in your own mixing conditions: powder fineness and dissolution behaviour can affect whether the material works in your process.

Everyone in the supply chain is responsible for correct chemical labelling and packaging before market placement in Great Britain. Review the supplier's safety data sheet, proposed labels and packaging with a competent chemical adviser.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 bags of fumaric acid, each weighing 25 kg; illustrative FOB value and freight under 2917 19 80 90, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,300. Duty at 6% is £258. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £4,558, so it is £911.60. Import taxes total £1,169.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £258 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match bag markings, batch identifiers and analysis certificates to the ordered fumaric acid.

Analysis: check assay, moisture and agreed impurities against the purchase specification; retain a sample for comparison.

Handling: inspect seals and liners for damage, contamination, dampness and hard lumps before accepting stock.

Performance: compare particle size and mixing behaviour with the approved sample under the same process conditions.

What goes wrong

A supplier substitutes a grade with a different particle size, leaving the buyer with slow mixing or uneven dispersion. Damp or damaged bags introduce lumps and contamination. A certificate copied from another batch cannot establish the quality of the delivered material.

Treat claims of food suitability as something to verify before ordering. Keep questionable stock separate while identity, analysis or documentation discrepancies are investigated. Agree acceptance criteria and the response to failed batches in the purchase order.

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.