Sourcing gravure printing inks from China

Gravure ink: 6%, with a narrow suspension

Heading 3215 covers printing, writing, drawing and other inks. For gravure printing inks, the relevant ordinary lines are black ink under 3215 11 00 00 and other colours under 3215 19 00 90. The table repeats these codes for solvent-based and water-based variants; these are product choices within the same tariff lines.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, both lines carried 6% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty recorded. A suspension to 0% covers specified liquid inks consisting of a dispersion of vinyl acrylate copolymer and colour pigments in isoparaffins, containing no more than 13% by weight of that copolymer and pigments. The stated exclusion for mixtures, preparations or products containing these products also applies. Check the complete formulation before claiming relief.

The tariff attaches waste import and export controls. Waste shipment controls apply only when the material is waste. For waste from China entering England under notification controls, the exporter must seek consent through the dispatch authority, and shipment can start only after the Environment Agency and other competent authorities consent. Confirm applicability with your customs broker. Check the commodity code against composition and use; see the flexographic printing inks guide for related heading coverage.

Specify the substrate and gravure press conditions

State whether the ink is for surface printing or reverse printing followed by lamination. Identify the film, foil or paper, its surface treatment, the resin and solvent system, permitted thinners, colour reference and required opacity. Agree working viscosity with the measurement method and temperature, cylinder details, press speed and drying conditions. Approve a press trial using your actual substrate and adhesive.

For Great Britain, check the UK REACH registration position for each constituent substance. HSE says substances within mixtures must be registered when aggregated imports of a substance reach 1 tonne or more per year. Suppliers must ensure correct labelling and packaging before placing inks on the GB market. Ask for an English safety data sheet and composition information for each formulation.

For food-packaging inks, confirm with the Food Standards Agency how the food-contact framework Regulation 1935/2004 and the printing-ink good manufacturing practice rules in Regulation 2023/2006 apply to your intended packaging and use in Great Britain. Ask for low-migration declarations and substance information, then agree testing for the intended packaging construction and use. Keep the approved formulation and printed sample with the purchase specification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 2 tonnes of coloured gravure printing ink, illustrative order under 3215 19 00 90, invoiced at £12,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £12,900. Duty at 6% is £774. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £13,674, so it is £2,734.80. Import taxes total £3,508.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £774 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity and packing: check formulation reference, colour, batch identification and container seals against the order and batch certificate; inspect for leaks and damaged lids on arrival.

Colour and dispersion: compare a drawdown on the agreed substrate with the approved sample; check shade, strength, opacity, sediment and particles that could interfere with the cylinder or doctor blade.

Viscosity and drying: measure using the agreed method and temperature after the specified mixing and dilution; trial cell release, drying and blocking under the agreed press conditions.

Adhesion and lamination: test rub resistance and adhesion on your substrate; for reverse printing, check the laminated construction with the intended adhesive. Retain batch samples and record results before releasing the ink to production.

What goes wrong

A matching colour sample can hide the wrong binder or solvent blend. On press, the ink may dry in the cells, leave streaks, release poorly or block in the reel. Ink that adheres to a trial film can fail on a differently treated production film, while reverse-print ink can give weak laminate bonds with an incompatible adhesive.

Approve performance on the complete printing and lamination process, then compare incoming batches with that reference. A low-migration description alone does not establish suitability for your finished food packaging. Resolve missing formulation information or unexplained batch changes before production; use testing and certification support to define the evidence needed.

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.