Sourcing n-heptane from China

N-heptane duty and commodity code

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, n-heptane falls within saturated acyclic hydrocarbons under 2901 10 00 00, carrying 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table shows purchasing specifications sharing this code, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

The tariff attaches an export control for waste. England's waste shipment guidance says these controls apply only to material that is waste. If the proposed cargo is spent solvent or material offered for recovery, ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable requirement before shipping from China.

Confirm the composition and purity against the batch certificate using our commodity code guide. Petroleum solvent mixtures may fall outside this heading. See the wider acyclic hydrocarbons guide for related products.

Specify n-heptane content and solvent cleanliness

Write n-heptane explicitly in the purchase specification. Agree its content, other hydrocarbon impurities, benzene and aromatics, water, sulphur, colour, distillation range and evaporation residue. Ask for actual batch results and test methods, rather than a certificate stating only that the material passes.

For chromatography, agree a suitability test using your analytical method. For process use, test an approved sample with your own materials. State whether virgin or recovered material is acceptable, and agree container cleanliness, seals and batch identification.

Confirm with HSE whether your annual imports require UK REACH registration coverage or an only representative arrangement. Confirm coverage before ordering. Everyone in the supply chain is responsible for correct labelling and packaging before chemicals are placed on the Great Britain market.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 18 tonnes of drummed n-heptane, illustrative only under 2901 10 00 00, invoiced at £21,000 free on board, with £3,200 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £24,200. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,200, so it is £4,840. 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: compare the order, drum labels and batch certificate; arrange gas chromatography to check n-heptane content and the agreed impurities.

Cleanliness: check water, colour and evaporation residue against the specification, with a method suited to the intended use.

Packaging: check sealed, undamaged containers, batch identification and dangerous goods paperwork. Confirm with your customs broker whether UN 1206 applies to the shipment and which transport packaging, labels and dangerous goods declaration are required.

Traceability: match sampled containers to the certificate and retain the results. For tank deliveries, review the cleaning record and previous cargo information.

What goes wrong

A generic heptane description can conceal a different composition from the n-heptane ordered. Other problems include water ingress, evaporation residue and contamination from reused containers. A purity result alone does not show that the solvent suits your chromatography or production process.

Agree acceptance tests before placing the order, compare arrival samples with the approved sample, and review packing documents before loading. Use our inspection guide to plan the checks.

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.