Sourcing lipase enzymes from China

Zero duty and source-dependent checks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 3507 covers enzymes and prepared enzymes not elsewhere specified or included. Lipoprotein lipase is named under 3507 90 30 00; other lipase preparations should be assessed against 3507 90 90 90. The table repeats the residual code for different supply forms, rather than suggesting separate tariff lines. See the wider enzyme sourcing guide.

Both relevant codes carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measures or suspensions recorded. The residual line carries a veterinary control; the named lipoprotein lipase line has none recorded. Confirm with your customs broker whether the particular source and formulation require veterinary documents. For animal products classified as medium or high risk, official guidance requires a health certificate, sometimes called an official certificate.

Give your broker the enzyme identity, production source, complete formulation and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Do not classify every lipase as lipoprotein lipase simply because the supplier uses the word lipase.

Specify lipase activity and formulation

Specify whether you need lipoprotein lipase or another lipase, its microbial strain or animal source, and the intended application. Agree the activity unit, assay substrate, method, temperature and pH. Require the batch certificate of analysis to report activity using that same method. State whether activity is expressed against the supplied preparation or its enzyme content.

Agree liquid, powder or granulated form; carriers, preservatives, moisture or solids content; and storage conditions. Ask for stability data for the proposed formulation and packaging. For food production, confirm with the Food Standards Agency how the enzyme and use are treated under food enzyme rules. For feed use, confirm with the Food Standards Agency the applicable authorisation requirements and the preparation's status on the Great Britain register.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of liquid lipase preparation for detergent production under 3507 90 90 90, invoiced at £22,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £23,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £23,800, so it is £4,760. 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 the batch certificate, production source and declared formulation against the purchase specification.

Activity: test a retained arrival sample using the agreed substrate, assay method, temperature and pH.

Condition: check liquid leakage or separation, powder caking, granule condition and evidence of moisture or heat exposure.

Documents: match batch markings to the certificate, storage instructions and safety data sheet; check food or feed paperwork against the intended use.

What goes wrong

A supplier's activity result can look acceptable while using a different substrate or assay from the buyer's method. Heat exposure can reduce activity during transport, and a changed carrier can affect how the preparation behaves in your process. Compare the supplied batch with an approved sample and test it in the intended formulation before releasing it for production.

A food-grade description does not settle the enzyme's regulatory treatment, and missing source declarations leave veterinary checks unresolved. Resolve these points before dispatch. Use factory verification to check the manufacturer's batch testing and traceability.

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.