Sourcing gum tragacanth from China

Gum tragacanth duty and control checks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 1301 covers lac, natural gums, resins, gum-resins and oleoresins. Gum tragacanth falls within the other natural gums line, 1301 90 00 00, carrying 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension.

The line attaches organic import control and CITES and Home Office controlled drug controls for imports and exports. These are broad-line flags: ask your customs broker to confirm their application to the named botanical source and composition. Organic food imported from China into Great Britain needs a certificate of inspection for each consignment. Controlled drugs or precursor chemicals require a licence if present.

Confirm the commodity code using the botanical identity, composition and processing, especially for blends or prepared formulations. Only the other natural gums line in the supplied facts is relevant to this product. See the wider natural gums and resins guide for the rest of the heading.

Specify identity and hydrated viscosity

State gum tragacanth explicitly, with the botanical source, country of harvest, processing location and intended use. Ask whether the supplier processes the gum or merely repacks it. Agree powder or unground material, colour, odour, particle size and whether any other gum or carrier is added.

Set a viscosity acceptance range against an approved sample. Specify the solution concentration, water quality, temperature, mixing method and hydration time so supplier and buyer test the same way. Trial the sample in your actual formulation before approving the production batch.

For food use, tragacanth is the additive identified as E 413; confirm the applicable purity criteria with the Food Standards Agency rather than relying solely on the published natural gums guide. Request a batch certificate of analysis and agree laboratory checks for identity, moisture, ash, insoluble matter, heavy metals and microbiology. Arrange testing and certification around the intended use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 tonnes of gum tragacanth under 1301 90 00 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £16,900. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £16,900, so it is £3,380. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the product description, botanical source and batch certificate to the purchase specification and retained sample.

Function: hydrate an arrival sample using the agreed method and compare viscosity, colour and dispersion with the approved sample.

Purity: inspect for bark, grit, unusual odour and unexpected residue; compare laboratory results with the agreed food or technical specification.

Packaging: check seals, moisture damage and batch markings; keep samples linked to the supplier's batch documents.

What goes wrong

A sample can perform well while the delivered batch hydrates differently. Substitution, added gums, inconsistent milling or a changed test method can hide the difference. A viscosity result without its preparation method is difficult to compare; repeat the agreed test before accepting the batch.

Visible cleanliness does not establish food-grade purity. Contaminants and microbiological problems need laboratory checks. Generic certificates, missing botanical identity and an organic claim without shipment documentation leave questions unresolved. Agree the evidence and acceptance procedure before dispatch.

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.