Sourcing Hydrogenated Lanolin from China

Zero duty, with animal by-product checks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 1505 covers wool grease and fatty substances derived from it, including lanolin. Hydrogenated lanolin belongs within the other derivatives line, 1505 00 90 00, subject to confirmation of the actual composition. The supplied facts contain only this relevant line. For the broader product family, see lanolin and wool grease.

The duty for Chinese-origin goods on this line is 0%, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension. Veterinary control and waste import and export controls are attached. General animal by-product guidance requires entry through an approved border control post. Ask your customs broker to confirm the documents and notification requirements for this Chinese consignment. Where waste notification controls apply, shipment requires consent from the authorities of dispatch, destination and transit.

Give the broker the composition, hydrogenation process, intended use and supplier documents. Ask whether the cosmetic intermediate-product route applies; under that route, production must be at an establishment approved to export to Great Britain. Confirm classification using finding your commodity code, and check the tax calculation using UK import duty and VAT.

Specify the hydrogenated grade and intended use

Specify hydrogenated lanolin explicitly rather than accepting a quotation for ordinary anhydrous lanolin, lanolin alcohols or an unspecified blend. Ask for the full composition, manufacturing process and batch certificate of analysis. Agree the iodine value, melting or softening behaviour, colour, odour, moisture, acid value and peroxide value against an approved sample.

For cosmetic use, trial the ingredient in your own formulation and agree texture, compatibility and storage conditions. Confirm the finished cosmetic's safety-assessment requirements with the relevant authority; a raw-material certificate does not establish its suitability in your formula. For an imported lanolin derivative, confirm any UK REACH obligations and applicable tonnage thresholds with HSE, using our UK REACH guide.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 4 tonnes of hydrogenated lanolin in drums under 1505 00 90 00, invoiced at £36,000 free on board, with £1,400 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £37,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £37,400, so it is £7,480. 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. This assumes the goods are standard-rated for VAT. Most food for human consumption is zero-rated, and animal feed can be too, in which case no import VAT is due, so check the rate for your product in HMRC's VAT Notice 701/14.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the drum labels, invoice and batch certificate to the agreed hydrogenated grade and composition.

Performance: compare iodine value and melting or softening behaviour with the specification, then trial a retained sample in your formulation.

Condition: check colour, odour, moisture, acid and peroxide values; inspect drums for leaks, damaged seals and contamination.

Documents: match batch references across the shipment and confirm the broker has agreed the applicable animal by-product route before dispatch.

What goes wrong

Ordinary lanolin or a different blend arrives against a hydrogenated-lanolin order. A changed hydrogenation profile can give different texture or melting behaviour, while old or overheated material can develop an off-odour or darker colour. Compare the delivered batch with the approved sample and investigate differences before using it.

A supplier's cosmetic-grade description leaves the import route unresolved. Ask APHA and your broker whether the material qualifies as an intermediate product and which documents apply. The tariff also attaches waste controls: confirm their relevance to the consignment rather than treating the zero duty rate as clearance approval.

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.