Glycols, sorbitol, erythritol and glycerol
Mono ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, pentaerythritol, erythritol and sorbitol from China can enter at 0% under suspensions, some with documents 9Y11 or 9Y12; without them rates run from 4% to 8%, and sorbitol and mannitol add a charge per 100 kg. Glycerol pays 2% and high-purity methanol 0%. Food grades must meet additive specifications. Cambridge China Bridge sources glycols and polyols.
Glycols and polyols from China pay 0% to 8% UK duty, sorbitol plus a per-100 kg charge, but many enter at 0% under suspensions. Additive rules and an example.
Suspensions decide the rate
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, acyclic alcohols of heading 2905 from China carried third-country rates of 0% for methanol of 99.85% purity or more, 2% for glycerol, 4% for n-butanol, mono ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, trimethylolpropane and pentaerythritol, and 8% plus a charge per 100 kg for mannitol and most sorbitol, with no anti-dumping measure.
Suspensions change most of those. Mono ethylene glycol entered at 0% from 8 January to 31 December 2026 without a document; propylene glycol of 99% purity or more and erythritol entered at 0% to 31 December 2028 with document 9Y12; pentaerythritol at 0% from 5 August 2026 under a suspension additional code; sorbitol solution with 2% or less mannitol at 0% to 30 June 2027 without a document; and other sorbitol at 0% to 2028 with document 9Y11. Check each footnote and confirm the commodity code before costing.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methanol, 99.85% or more | 2905 11 00 10 | 0% | None |
| Mono ethylene glycol | 2905 31 00 10 | 4%; 0% to 31 Dec 2026 | None |
| Propylene glycol, 99% or more, with 9Y12 | 2905 32 00 00 | 4%; 0% to 31 Dec 2028 | None |
| Pentaerythritol | 2905 42 00 00 | 4%; 0% from 5 Aug 2026 under suspension | None |
| Sorbitol solution, 2% or less mannitol | 2905 44 11 00 | 6% + £13/100 kg; 0% to 30 Jun 2027 | None |
| Sorbitol powder, 2% or less mannitol, with 9Y11 | 2905 44 91 00 | 6% + £19/100 kg; 0% to 31 Dec 2028 | None |
| Mannitol | 2905 43 00 00 | 8% + £105/100 kg | None |
| Glycerol | 2905 45 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Erythritol, with 9Y12 | 2905 49 00 15 | 0% to 31 Dec 2028 | None |
Food, pharmaceutical and chemical rules
Sorbitol, mannitol, erythritol, glycerol and propylene glycol sold as food additives are E 420, E 421, E 968, E 422 and E 1520 under retained Regulation 1333/2008 and must meet the purity specification in the GB Register of Food Additive Authorisations, which replaced retained Regulation 231/2012 on 1 April 2025; tabletop and confectionery products containing polyols over a set level must carry the warning that excessive consumption may produce laxative effects. Pharmaceutical grades are bought to the British or European Pharmacopoeia monograph.
Mono ethylene glycol, butanediol and methanol are industrial chemicals: each substance imported at one tonne or more a year needs UK REACH registration, an English safety data sheet and GB CLP labels, and methanol ships as flammable and toxic dangerous goods. Our sucralose guide covers high-intensity sweeteners and the food acids guide other food ingredients.
Worked duty example
Suppose, purely for illustration, you import 40 tonnes of refined glycerol in IBCs under 2905 45 00 00. At £30,000 free on board and £3,500 to ship and insure, the customs value is £33,500. Glycerol at 2% pay £670 of duty; VAT is then worked out on value plus duty, £34,170, giving £6,834. Of the £7,504 paid at import, only the £670 of duty stays a cost for a VAT-registered business. Glycerol has no suspension, so the 2% applies; mono ethylene glycol of the same value would enter at 0% until 31 December 2026. The method is set out in how UK import duty and VAT work.
What goes wrong
Polyols fail on grade and specification. Technical-grade glycerol or propylene glycol is sold into food or cosmetics, sorbitol solution arrives with a mannitol or reducing-sugar content that moves it to a dearer tariff line or out of the food specification, erythritol cakes because it was packed damp, and ethylene glycol is contaminated with water or diethylene glycol. Missing documents mean a suspension cannot be claimed after the goods have landed.
Test each lot for assay, water by Karl Fischer, and for food grades heavy metals and reducing sugars against the additive specification; check the mannitol content of sorbitol against the tariff line; confirm the grade on the certificate matches the order; and prepare suspension documents before shipment.
Cambridge China Bridge sources glycols, glycerol and polyol sweeteners for food, cosmetic and industrial users, including first trial lots. Start with our small-order service.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on propylene glycol from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, 4%, or 0% for 99% purity or more with document 9Y12 under a suspension to 31 December 2028.
Why does sorbitol have a charge per 100 kg?
Sorbitol and mannitol carry an agricultural component on top of the percentage rate, although most sorbitol can enter at 0% under suspensions.
Is erythritol duty-free?
Erythritol enters at 0% with document 9Y12 under a suspension to 31 December 2028.
Which rules apply to food-grade polyols?
The food additive regulations, with purity specifications in the GB Register of Food Additive Authorisations and a laxative warning where required.