Sourcing L-lysine hydrochloride from China

Duty on L-lysine hydrochloride

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 20 October 2026, heading 2922 covers oxygen-function amino-compounds. L-lysine hydrochloride falls within the lysine-and-salts line, 2922 41 00 00, which carries 0% duty for goods from China. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty is recorded. The table contains the only relevant commodity line in the supplied tariff facts.

The supplied line also records a 0% autonomous suspension whose footnote names choline compounds rather than L-lysine hydrochloride. Do not use that footnote as a lysine-specific concession; the ordinary duty is already 0%. The UK Trade Tariff attaches an export waste control. Ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance if rejected material is to be returned as waste.

Give the broker the substance identity, composition, grade and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Do not assume a formulated blend uses the same code. See the wider amino-compounds guide for other products within this heading.

Specify the salt, assay basis and intended use

Write L-lysine hydrochloride into the purchase specification rather than simply lysine. State whether the reported assay measures the hydrochloride salt or lysine content, and whether results are on a dry basis or as supplied. Agree limits and test methods for moisture, impurities, heavy metals and microbiology, together with particle size and lined-bag packing.

For feed use in Great Britain, additives must be authorised before marketing and used only for their authorised purpose. Check the proposed product against its feed authorisation before ordering. For food use, request food-grade specifications and batch certificates of analysis. For other chemical uses, assess UK REACH registration and any applicable exemption before importing.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: one tonne of bagged L-lysine hydrochloride under 2922 41 00 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £1,950 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,450. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £4,450, so it is £890. 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: check that the order, bag labels and batch certificate name the hydrochloride salt and identify the same manufacturer and batch.

Assay: compare results using the agreed reporting basis; retain representative samples for independent identity, assay and moisture testing.

Grade documents: match the feed product to its authorisation and compare contaminant and microbiological results with the agreed specification.

Packing: inspect liners, seals and pallets on arrival for dampness, torn bags and caking; photograph damage before moving the stock.

What goes wrong

An assay expressed as lysine content can be mistaken for an assay of the hydrochloride salt. Dry-basis results can also conceal a mismatch with the as-supplied specification. Resolve the reporting basis before comparing quotations or accepting a batch.

Moisture exposure causes caking, while generic certificates can leave the shipped batch unverified. Feed or food orders may arrive with technical-grade paperwork. Hold discrepant stock apart while reviewing batch tests, labels and packing evidence. Agree the sampling and release checks through testing and certification.

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.