Sourcing hydroquinone from China

Hydroquinone duty and the suspension

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 5 November 2026, heading 2907 covers phenols and phenol-alcohols. Hydroquinone, also called quinol, is listed under 2907 22 00 10; its salts fall under 2907 22 00 90. Methylhydroquinone and resorcinol are shown for comparison and should not be substituted for hydroquinone.

Both hydroquinone lines have a 4% third-country rate for Chinese goods, but pure hydroquinone has an autonomous suspension to 0%. The published background guide gives its expiry as 31 December 2026. The salts line has no suspension. Neither line lists anti-dumping or countervailing duty. Both attach an export waste control. Waste shipment controls apply to waste material; confirm the applicable requirement with your customs broker if buying recovered material.

Confirm the commodity code against the substance identity and composition before shipment, and recheck the suspension when declaring the goods. For other products within this heading, see phenol, bisphenol A and resorcinol.

Specify hydroquinone identity, assay and colour

State whether you need hydroquinone or a named salt, the intended process, and the agreed assay method. Set acceptance criteria for assay, water, colour and relevant impurities. Ask for a batch-specific certificate of analysis and agree how an independent laboratory will compare delivered material with the approved sample.

For Great Britain, confirm UK REACH registration responsibilities with HSE for the substance and your annual import volume before ordering. Chemical suppliers must ensure correct labelling and packaging before placing substances on the market. Obtain an English safety data sheet and agree handling and transport arrangements before dispatch.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 25 kg of a specified hydroquinone salt under 2907 22 00 90, invoiced at £1,800 free on board, with £980 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,780. Duty at 4% is £111.20. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,891.20, so it is £578.24. Import taxes total £689.44; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £111.20 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the purchase order, container labels and batch certificate to hydroquinone or the specified salt.

Analysis: compare assay, water, colour and agreed impurities with the specification, using a representative batch sample.

Packaging: inspect seals, liners and containers for damage, leakage or moisture; compare colour with the approved sample for signs of darkening.

Documents: check chemical labels and the English safety data sheet against the actual substance; retain a labelled sample and batch records.

What goes wrong

Hydroquinone can darken through oxidation in poorly sealed containers. A satisfactory factory sample does not establish the quality of the shipped batch. Investigate darkening, excessive water or a failed assay before releasing stock, and compare the findings with the retained sample and batch certificate.

Intended use matters. Do not source hydroquinone for skin-lightening cosmetics: the official product safety report identifies it as prohibited in cosmetic products and records a border rejection. For industrial orders, resolve substance identity and supply responsibilities before payment rather than treating a duty suspension as product 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.