Sourcing glutaraldehyde from China

Glutaraldehyde duty and classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 November 2026, heading 2912 covers aldehydes, their cyclic polymers and paraformaldehyde. The candidate line for glutaraldehyde is 2912 19 00 90, other acyclic aldehydes without other oxygen function. Its China duty is 4%, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table shows purchasing descriptions sharing this line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

The supplied tariff data attaches an export waste control to this line. It is labelled as an export measure; ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance, especially for returned or waste material. Do not assume that raw glutaraldehyde, a buffered laboratory preparation and a finished disinfectant share a classification.

Give your broker the complete composition, water content, additives and intended use to confirm the commodity code. See the glyoxal solutions guide for related sourcing within the wider heading.

Specify the glutaraldehyde solution and intended use

State whether you need a chemical feedstock, laboratory reagent or finished biocidal product. Agree active content by mass, the assay method, acidity, appearance, permitted additives and packaging material. Ask for a batch certificate of analysis and a safety data sheet matching the actual formulation. Agree storage conditions and remaining shelf life in the purchase specification.

Confirm applicable UK REACH registration responsibilities with HSE for the substances you intend to import. Products supplied as biocides need authorisation for the Great Britain market. Confirm the position with HSE for the exact formulation and intended use before ordering; a raw-material assay is not evidence of product authorisation.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 tonnes of industrial glutaraldehyde solution in drums under 2912 19 00 90, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £1,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,700. Duty at 4% is £148. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,848, so it is £769.60. Import taxes total £917.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £148 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the product name, formulation, batch references and certificate of analysis to the purchase specification.

Assay: arrange testing of active content and acidity against the agreed method; retain a sealed sample for comparison.

Packaging: check seals, closures, leakage and container condition on arrival. Verify that chemical labels and packaging are correct before placing the goods on the Great Britain market.

Documents: match the safety data sheet to the supplied solution and check storage instructions. For a biocidal product, check its authorisation against the formulation and intended use.

What goes wrong

Buying by product name alone leaves room for the wrong concentration, undeclared buffers or a different grade. A certificate describing the supplier's standard product may not describe the delivered batch. Set acceptance criteria before shipment and investigate any mismatch between the assay, label and order.

Another failure is treating chemical purity as permission to sell a disinfectant. Biocidal product authorisation is a separate check. Hold material with leaking packaging, inconsistent paperwork or unexplained test results pending investigation. Arrange testing and certification support around the agreed specification.

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.