Phenol, bisphenol A and resorcinol from China

Rates and suspensions

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, phenol and its salts and the cresols carried 2% on goods from China, xylenols 2%, 1-naphthol 0%, and octylphenol, nonylphenol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, bisphenol A and other polyphenols 4%, with no anti-dumping measure.

Suspensions cut several of these to 0%: resorcinol (2907 21 00 10), 2-naphthol (2907 15 90 10), o-cresol, a listed meta and para-cresol mixture and several listed polyphenols have whole-line suspensions to the end of 2028, p-cresol and 2,6-xylenol have listed suspensions, and hydroquinone (2907 22 00 10) is suspended to 31 December 2026. Bisphenol A pays 4%. Match the CAS number to the line before quoting, and confirm the commodity code.

Restrictions, hazards and grades

UK REACH Annex XVII entry 66 limits bisphenol A in thermal paper to 0.02% by weight, and entry 46 restricts nonylphenol and its ethoxylates in cleaning, textile and leather processing and other listed uses, so check the buyer's end use before ordering; importers of more than one tonne a year of a substance must check [UK REACH](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-comply-with-reach-chemical-regulations) registration.

Phenol and several phenols are toxic or corrosive, so they need GB CLP labels, an English safety data sheet and dangerous goods packing. Grades are bought on assay by gas chromatography, water, colour, freezing point for phenol, and residual phenol and isomer content for bisphenol A used in polycarbonate or epoxy resins.

Worked duty example

For a made-up shipment of 20 tonnes of bisphenol A flakes in 25 kg bags under 2907 23 00 00, add the £1,800 of freight and insurance to the £26,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £27,800. At 4%, duty on these bisphenol A is £1,112; import VAT of £5,782.40 is 20% of the value with duty added. Together that is £6,894.40, but a VAT-registered importer usually gets the VAT back. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.

What goes wrong

Phenols fail on purity, colour and packing. Assay or isomer content misses the specification so resins discolour or cure badly; bisphenol A carries too much free phenol; phenol and hydroquinone darken from oxidation in poorly sealed drums; packages lack UN markings or safety data sheets; and product sold for thermal paper or cleaning uses runs into the REACH restrictions.

Test assay, isomers, water and colour on each lot against the certificate of analysis, check free phenol on bisphenol A, inspect drum and bag seals and nitrogen blanketing where used, confirm dangerous goods packing, labels and safety data sheets, confirm the buyer's end use against entries 46 and 66, and keep a retained sample of each lot.

Cambridge China Bridge sources phenol, bisphenol A, resorcinol and other phenols for resin, rubber, dye and pharmaceutical makers, including a second supplier to compare with an existing source. See how we add a second supplier.