Sourcing furfuryl alcohol from China

Furfuryl alcohol duty and classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 20 October 2026, heading 2932 covers heterocyclic compounds with oxygen hetero-atoms only. Furfuryl alcohol falls within 2932 13 00 90, the other line beneath furfuryl alcohol and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol. The supplied tariff file contains only this directly relevant line, so the table is limited to furfuryl alcohol.

The recorded duty for goods from China is 6%, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no autonomous suspension. The tariff attaches an export waste control to this line. Ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance if the material is waste or is being returned; the recorded control is an export measure.

Confirm the substance identity and composition with your broker using finding your commodity code. Do not transfer a related chemical's suspension to furfuryl alcohol. See the wider furan chemicals guide for neighbouring products.

Specify assay, water and intended use

Specify furfuryl alcohol explicitly, rather than accepting an order described only as furan solvent. State the intended resin, foundry or laboratory application, assay method, water limit, acidity limit, colour acceptance and permitted impurities. Agree these values with your technical user rather than adopting the supplier's standard sheet without review.

Ask for a batch certificate of analysis, safety data sheet and a representative sample. Agree drum material, closure, seal identification and storage instructions. UK REACH registration responsibilities vary between businesses; confirm your position for the substance and annual import volume before committing to supply. Chemicals must be correctly labelled and packaged before being placed on the Great Britain market.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 5 tonnes of furfuryl alcohol, illustrative order under 2932 13 00 90, invoiced at £21,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £23,500. Duty at 6% is £1,410. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,910, so it is £4,982. Import taxes total £6,392; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,410 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the product name and batch reference across the purchase order, drum labels, safety data sheet and certificate of analysis.

Composition: have a laboratory compare assay, water, acidity and relevant impurities with the agreed specification using a sample taken from the shipment.

Appearance: compare colour and clarity with the approved sample and investigate sediment or an unexpected difference before releasing stock.

Drums: check closures, seals, leaks, dents and batch traceability during quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A certificate headed only 'furfuryl alcohol' can conceal an assay basis or test method that differs from your specification. Confusing furfuryl alcohol with tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol also creates a mismatch between the order, technical application and tariff treatment.

Missing batch links, leaking closures or an unexplained colour difference make acceptance difficult even when the supplier's sample passed. Hold affected stock while the factory explains the discrepancy and shipment samples are checked against the agreed acceptance criteria.

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.