Sourcing Inositol from China

UK duty on inositol

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, inositols under 2906 13 90 00 carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension for this line. Heading 2906 covers cyclic alcohols and their derivatives; see the wider cyclic alcohols guide.

The tariff attaches an export control for waste to this line. Environment Agency guidance for England says waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. If the consignment involves discarded or waste material, confirm the applicable requirements with your customs broker before shipping from China. The supplied inositol line lists no import control.

Confirm the commodity code using the actual composition and presentation, particularly for blends, capsules or formulated supplements. Do not assume their classification from the bulk ingredient. For border tax calculations, see UK import duty and VAT.

Specify the inositol isomer and intended use

Write the isomer into the purchase specification, such as myo-inositol or D-chiro-inositol, rather than ordering simply 'inositol'. State whether you want an unblended ingredient or a formulation, and identify its intended food, laboratory or manufacturing use. Agree assay, identity testing, moisture, particle size and impurity acceptance criteria with your technical buyer.

For food-use powder, request batch results for microbiological quality and relevant contaminants alongside identity and assay. Specify the test methods and require results for the supplied batch rather than a generic product sheet. Agree sealed inner liners, outer packaging, storage instructions and retained samples.

If importing finished food supplements into the UK, you are legally responsible for their composition, safety and labelling. Sellers must register as food business operators with their local authority. For other chemical uses, check whether UK REACH registration is required before importing a substance you have not previously imported.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 tonnes of bulk inositol powder under 2906 13 90 00, invoiced at £21,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £23,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £23,500, so it is £4,700. 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 ordered isomer, supplier label and batch certificate; arrange laboratory identity testing where the certificate does not establish the isomer.

Analysis: check batch-specific assay, moisture and agreed impurity results against the purchase specification, including methods and sample identification.

Packaging: inspect seals and inner liners for tears, moisture ingress, contamination and hard caking; record damaged packages before opening.

Traceability: match batch references across packages, certificates and delivery documents; retain representative samples and compare powder flow with the approved sample.

What goes wrong

A generic inositol description can leave the isomer unresolved. An assay result alone may not answer that question. Other rejection risks include an unsupported food-grade claim, certificates from a different batch, undeclared blending and powder that cakes or flows poorly in the buyer's filling equipment.

Resolve identity and test-method questions before approving the production sample. On arrival, hold material that fails the agreed specification while you investigate. Keep ingredient acceptance separate from the composition, safety and labelling review of any finished supplement.

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.