Sourcing industrial capric acid from China

UK duty on industrial capric acid

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 3823 covers industrial monocarboxylic fatty acids, acid oils from refining and industrial fatty alcohols. This guide concerns industrial capric acid, also called decanoic acid. The table gives possible non-feed fatty-acid lines to discuss with your customs broker, rather than assigning every capric acid grade to the same code.

The supplied tariff record shows 0% duty on goods from China throughout this heading, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duties, suspensions or attached import controls. The listed fatty-acid criteria include an iodine value below 105g/100g; the relevant non-distilled line also specifies a degree of split of at least 97%. A zero customs rate does not settle chemical compliance.

Give your broker the composition, manufacturing process, iodine value, degree of split where relevant and intended use. Confirm the commodity code before shipment. For related fatty-acid coverage, see industrial caprylic acid.

Specify the capric acid cut and batch limits

Specify capric acid content and the permitted amounts of neighbouring fatty acids, rather than accepting a general fatty-acid purity claim. Agree acid value, iodine value, moisture, colour, odour, residue and the analytical methods. State the feedstock origin, physical form, packaging, storage conditions and intended industrial process.

Ask for a batch certificate of analysis and a representative sample for your process trial. Check the UK REACH position for the substance and your annual imports, particularly at one tonne or more. Before supply in Great Britain, ensure correct hazard labelling and packaging. A safety data sheet is required when a hazardous chemical is supplied for workplace use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of distilled industrial capric acid meeting this line's criteria under 3823 19 10 70, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £2,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £26,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £26,200, so it is £5,240. 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

Composition: check the batch chromatogram for capric acid content and neighbouring fatty acids against the agreed specification.

Condition: check moisture, colour, odour and residue using the agreed methods; compare samples under the same conditioning procedure.

Packaging: check seals, leaks, contamination, net weight and batch identification against the packing list.

Documents: match the batch certificate, safety data sheet and labels to the delivered grade. Use the quality inspection guide to agree sampling before dispatch.

What goes wrong

A fatty-acid blend can meet a general purity claim while containing less capric acid than your process needs. Moisture, discolouration or residue can also spoil downstream results. Test a representative production sample and retain a sealed batch sample for comparison on arrival.

A sample and a delivery may come from different production lots, while a generic certificate hides the difference. Agree batch traceability and acceptance methods in the purchase specification. Check the producer's separation equipment and laboratory through factory verification.

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.