Sourcing NP fertiliser blends from China

6% for ordinary NP blends, 6.50% for specified lines

Heading 3105 covers compound mineral or chemical fertilisers and other fertilisers. This guide focuses on blends supplying nitrogen and phosphorus, without potassium as a fertilising element. The NP branches distinguish fertilisers containing nitrates and phosphates from other NP formulations. Diammonium phosphate and monoammonium phosphate have separate named lines within the heading.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, ordinary NP blends under 3105 51 00 90 and 3105 59 00 90 carry 6% duty for goods from China. The specified NP lines for solid fertilisers with ammonium nitrate exceeding 80% carry 6.50%. The supplied facts list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control on these NP branches.

Confirm the commodity code from the formulation, nutrient analysis and packaging. Small-pack lines elsewhere in this heading carry Veterinary control; if using those lines, ask your customs broker to confirm the requirement for the ingredients concerned. For another product family within the wider heading, see PK fertiliser blends.

Specify nitrogen forms and available phosphate

State total nitrogen, its nitrate and ammoniacal forms, total phosphate and the required water-soluble and neutral ammonium citrate soluble phosphate. Identify each ingredient and whether the product is a physical blend or compound granule. Agree moisture, particle size distribution, granule strength, dust, chloride and cadmium acceptance criteria, with sampling and test methods.

Settle the fertiliser type and prescribed nutrient declaration before printing bags; translating the Chinese label alone is insufficient. Selling as ‘UK fertiliser’ in Great Britain requires UK establishment and testing by a UK approved laboratory where testing is required.

Check UK REACH substance registration before ordering. Mixtures are not themselves registered, but constituent substances require registration when their aggregated imports reach 1 tonne per year. Arrange competent chemical classification and labelling, and appropriate packaging before sale. Use testing and certification support to define the evidence needed for the formulation.

For high-nitrogen ammonium nitrate blends, confirm with Defra whether detonation resistance testing is required before supply and have your broker check Defra’s import procedure before shipment. The certificate should relate to a sample from each production run batch. Read the safety data sheet before booking transport.

Confirm with HMRC or your customs broker whether your NP fertiliser imports fall within the UK carbon border adjustment mechanism and when any obligations apply. Ask the factory for production emissions information when planning future imports, and review the UK CBAM guide.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 25 tonnes of NP fertiliser containing nitrates and phosphates, in 25 kg bags; FOB and freight values are illustrative under 3105 51 00 90, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £11,500. Duty at 6% is £690. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £12,190, so it is £2,438. Import taxes total £3,128; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £690 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Sampling: draw samples across the shipment, retain sealed comparison samples and match the laboratory report to the production batch.

Nutrients: check total nitrogen, nitrogen forms and phosphate solubility against the agreed specification and bag declaration; an overall nutrient total does not establish available phosphate.

Granules: check moisture, sieve distribution, crushing strength, dust and caking. For physical blends, compare samples from different bags for separation of ingredients.

Packing and documents: check bag weights, liners, seams, batch identification and approved label artwork. On arrival, record wet bags, split seams and hardened material before accepting stock. Match any detonation certificate to the batch.

What goes wrong

A blend can match total nutrient figures while supplying less soluble phosphate than expected. Different ingredient sizes can separate during handling, leaving individual bags with different nutrient balances. Soft granules generate dust, while moisture causes caking and damaged bags expose the product to further damp.

Reject supplier substitutions until the formulation, analysis, label and transport assessment have been reviewed. Agree how independent samples will determine acceptance before placing the order. Our quality inspection guide explains how to define checks and record defects.

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.