Sourcing universal tinting pastes from China
Nonaqueous universal tinting pastes for paint manufacture carry 0% UK duty from China under 3212 90 00 00. Importers must address UK REACH and chemical hazard labelling; a supplier's universal claim also needs trials in the buyer's actual paint bases. Cambridge China Bridge sources nonaqueous universal tinting pastes.
Zero duty on nonaqueous tinting pastes
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, nonaqueous pigment pastes for paint manufacture fall within heading 3212. The relevant line, 3212 90 00 00, carries 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension listed. The colour variants in the table share that commodity line.
The tariff attaches an ozone-depleting-substance restriction and waste import and export controls. Obtain the formulation and ask your customs broker to confirm the restriction and declaration requirements. Regulated ozone-depleting substances require an import licence for Great Britain. Waste shipment controls apply only to waste. For notified waste from China to England, the exporter applies to the dispatch authority; shipment needs consent from the Environment Agency and other competent authorities involved.
Confirm the commodity code using the pigment, nonaqueous carrier and intended use, rather than the word universal. For another product within the wider heading, see our solvent-based aluminium pigment paste guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black nonaqueous universal tinting paste for paint manufacture | 3212 90 00 00 | 0% | None |
Specify the carrier and compatible paint bases
Specify pigment identity, carrier composition, pigment content, viscosity and its measurement conditions, density, fineness of dispersion and tinting strength against an approved sample. Name every intended binder and paint base. Agree addition levels, mixing procedure, storage conditions and acceptance limits. Treat universal as a compatibility claim to test, including in water-based paint if that use is proposed.
For Great Britain, check UK REACH coverage for each constituent substance: the registration threshold is one tonne per substance each year, rather than total paste weight. Check whether the manufacturer's appointed representative covers your imports. For hazardous grades, confirm the applicable label and safety data sheet requirements with HSE; provide the safety data sheet in English where required. Review the actual formulation before ordering.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 400 kg of nonaqueous universal tinting paste under 3212 90 00 00, invoiced at £6,800 free on board, with £700 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £7,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,500, so it is £1,500. 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
Shade and strength: make drawdowns in the agreed paint bases beside the retained sample, using the same addition and mixing procedure. Compare both shade and tinting strength.
Compatibility: check for flocculation, floating, flooding, gloss change and separation after mixing and storage. Include a rub-up comparison to reveal colour differences caused by poor compatibility.
Dispersion and handling: check fineness, viscosity and dispensing behaviour against the specification. Inspect for skin, hard sediment and material that cannot be stirred back into a uniform paste.
Packing and documents: inspect seals and leaks, check sampled net weights, and match container batch markings to the certificate of analysis. Compare the product identity on the label and safety data sheet with the ordered formulation.
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What goes wrong
A paste can match the reference in one base yet flocculate in another. Different tinting strength shifts the recipe even when the neat paste looks similar. Carrier changes can alter drying, gloss or dispensing, while hard settling leaves inconsistent colour through a container.
Approve samples in every intended base and retain a batch reference. Require approval before changes to the pigment, carrier or dispersant. Agree how failed batches will be handled before dispatch, and keep suspect material separate while comparing it with the approved sample.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on nonaqueous tinting pastes from China?
The supplied tariff reading for 2 October 2026 gives 0% under 3212 90 00 00, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty listed.
Can a nonaqueous universal tinting paste work in water-based paint?
Possibly, but universal does not establish compatibility. Trial the paste in your actual base and check shade, flocculation, separation, gloss and drying.
Do I need UK REACH registration for tinting paste?
Check each constituent substance at one tonne or more imported each year. Confirm registration coverage and whether the manufacturer's appointed representative covers your imports.
How do I check tinting paste quality on arrival?
Compare batch drawdowns with the approved sample in the intended bases. Check strength, dispersion, viscosity, settling, seals, net weight and matching batch documents.