Sourcing Isopropyl Acetate from China

Isopropyl acetate: 4% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2915 covers saturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids and their derivatives, including acetate esters. For separately supplied isopropyl acetate, confirm the residual acetate code 2915 39 00 90. The table shows different intended uses of the same substance under that candidate code, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

The line carries 4% duty for goods from China, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing measure. Its autonomous suspension names other acetate substances and does not cover isopropyl acetate. The tariff also attaches an export control for waste. Ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance, particularly if the material is spent solvent or is being returned as waste.

Give your broker the composition, impurities, intended use and safety data sheet to confirm the commodity code. For the wider acetate family, see our ethyl acetate guide.

Specify identity, water and solvent performance

Specify isopropyl acetate explicitly, including whether virgin or recovered material is acceptable. Agree assay, water, acidity, colour, non-volatile residue and acceptable residual alcohols or other solvents. Define the test methods and require a batch-specific certificate of analysis. Trial a representative sample in your coating, ink or cleaning process before accepting the production batch.

For Great Britain, importers must classify, label and package chemicals correctly before placing them on the market. Review UK REACH registration responsibilities before ordering. Where a new registration is required and notification provisions do not apply, complete registration before imports reach 1 tonne per year. Agree who provides the safety data sheet and checks that it matches the supplied composition.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 15 tonnes of industrial isopropyl acetate under 2915 39 00 90, 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 4% is £940. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,440, so it is £4,888. Import taxes total £5,828; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £940 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the purchase specification, batch certificate, container labels and safety data sheet to isopropyl acetate.

Composition: check assay, water, acidity and residual solvents against agreed limits; arrange independent batch testing where needed.

Packaging: check seals, closures, corrosion, staining and evidence of leakage before accepting delivery.

Traceability: match batch identifiers and delivered quantities to the packing list, and retain a representative sample using an agreed safe sampling procedure.

What goes wrong

A supplier substitutes another acetate, supplies recovered material against a virgin specification, or sends a generic certificate that does not identify the batch. Excess water, residual alcohol or non-volatile residue can make an otherwise plausible solvent unsuitable for your formulation. Compare batch results with the approved sample and agreed test methods.

A suspension shown against the shared tariff code can be mistaken for relief on every substance within it. Check the named substances rather than accepting a supplier's zero-duty claim. Leaking closures and mismatched labels also need resolving before release into stock.

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.