Sourcing oral-care flavours from China
Oral-care flavour compounds from China carry 0% UK duty across the relevant heading 3302 lines. Importers must arrange chemical classification and correct labelling and packaging; confirm the finished cosmetic's safety-assessment requirements with the relevant authority. Cambridge China Bridge sources oral-care flavour compounds.
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Duty on bulk oral-care flavour compounds
Heading 3302 covers industrial mixtures based on odoriferous substances, including alcoholic solutions. For toothpaste and mouthwash ingredients, distinguish alcoholic solutions from other industrial mixtures. The table repeats the relevant codes for different applications; these are classification candidates, not separate tariff subdivisions. See the wider fragrance and flavour mixtures guide.
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, all listed lines carried 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measures and no listed suspensions. The relevant lines attach veterinary and CITES import controls. For animal-derived ingredients, confirm the Chinese product's eligibility and veterinary documents with your customs broker; medium and high risk animal-product imports need a health certificate. Check CITES permit requirements for protected-species ingredients before shipment.
The tariff also lists export controls concerning CITES, mercury and goods for torture and repression; these are export entries. Ask your broker to check applicable measures against the actual formulation and movement. Provide composition, carrier, alcohol content and intended industrial use when confirming the commodity code. Finished toothpaste and mouthwash are outside this bulk-ingredient guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcoholic flavour solutions for toothpaste manufacture | 3302 90 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Other flavour mixtures for toothpaste manufacture | 3302 90 90 00 | 0% | None |
Specify the flavour in your oral-care base
Specify mint character, cooling sensation, sweetness balance and acceptable aftertaste in the intended toothpaste or mouthwash base. Name the carrier, solubility, appearance and storage conditions. Approve a sample in your actual formulation, including its fluoride, surfactant and sweetener system where used. Agree who approves any ingredient or carrier substitution.
Request composition information, ingredient origins, allergen information, a safety data sheet and a batch analysis certificate. Chemical suppliers are responsible for classification, and mixtures must be correctly labelled and packaged before GB supply. Check UK REACH obligations for the constituent substances. A food-grade description alone does not establish suitability for your oral-care formula.
For a finished oral-care cosmetic sold in Great Britain, confirm with the relevant authority whether a cosmetic safety assessment and product information file are required before sale. Agree confidential disclosure of the quantitative formulation to the safety assessor. Discuss the raw-material data needed before approving the supplier; use testing and certification support to define the evidence required.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 200 kg of oral-care flavour compound under 3302 90 90 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £600 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,600. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,600, so it is £1,320. 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: match the supplier's formula reference, drum batch and analysis certificate; compare the batch fingerprint with the approved retained sample where agreed.
Performance: check flavour, cooling and aftertaste in the finished base through your approved evaluation procedure; inspect mouthwash clarity and toothpaste colour and consistency.
Condition: inspect seals, leakage, contamination, sediment and crystallisation; verify declared net contents and storage instructions against the purchase specification.
Documents: match the safety data sheet, hazard label, ingredient-origin declaration and agreed impurity and microbiological results to the formulation shipped.
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What goes wrong
A neat sample can smell right while the finished toothpaste tastes bitter or the mouthwash turns cloudy. A changed carrier, oxidised mint component or undeclared formula substitution can alter cooling, aftertaste and stability. Test the production batch in your actual base and agree acceptance criteria before dispatch.
Another failure is receiving a generic safety data sheet or composition sheet that cannot support the finished cosmetic assessment. Resolve disclosure before ordering, retain approved samples and hold a disputed batch while investigating. For finished goods, see the toothpaste and oral-care guide.
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 oral-care flavours from China?
The supplied tariff snapshot shows 0% for both relevant lines, 3302 90 10 00 and 3302 90 90 00, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measures. Classification depends on composition and industrial use.
Can I use a food-grade flavour in toothpaste?
Do not approve it on that description alone. Test it in the intended base and give the cosmetic safety assessor the composition and supporting ingredient data needed for the finished formula.
Does a small trial order avoid chemical classification?
No. HSE says classification must be carried out regardless of the tonnage, volume or amount supplied. Check the mixture's classification and appropriate labels and packaging before import.
What should I test before ordering a mouthwash flavour?
Check clarity, separation, flavour, cooling and aftertaste in your actual mouthwash base. Agree storage and stability checks, retain the approved sample and require approval before carrier or formula changes.