Sourcing phenyl glycidyl ether from China

Phenyl glycidyl ether: 0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 10 November 2026, heading 2910 covers epoxides and related compounds containing an epoxy ring. Phenyl glycidyl ether, chemical identity 122-60-1, has the named line 2910 90 00 50. Its duty for goods from China is 0%, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension shown.

The tariff attaches a measure labelled export control for waste. Confirm its relevance with your customs broker before shipment. Official guidance for England says waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste; establish whether any recovered or off-specification material offered by the supplier has that status.

Confirm the commodity code using the chemical identity and full composition. The comparison rows identify neighbouring substances, not interchangeable codes for phenyl glycidyl ether. For wider heading context, see butyl glycidyl ether.

Specify the phenyl ether and its resin performance

Name phenyl glycidyl ether and chemical identity 122-60-1 in the purchase specification. Agree assay, epoxy equivalent weight, viscosity at an agreed test temperature, colour, water and hydrolysable chlorine. Record the test methods and acceptance limits, and qualify the sample in your own resin and curing system.

For Great Britain, confirm the applicable UK REACH registration threshold and whether registration or only representative coverage applies to your imports with HSE or your chemical adviser. Registration is assessed per substance and legal entity. Chemical classification law establishes a duty to classify chemicals. Request an English safety data sheet for the supplied grade and check it against the identity, composition and drum labels.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: one tonne of phenyl glycidyl ether in drums under 2910 90 00 50, invoiced at £5,500 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £9,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £9,000, so it is £1,800. 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 purchase specification, batch certificate, safety data sheet and drum labels to phenyl glycidyl ether; investigate any substituted ether or unnamed blend.

Batch chemistry: independently compare assay, water and hydrolysable chlorine with the agreed limits and the supplier's certificate for the delivered batch.

Resin performance: measure epoxy equivalent weight, viscosity and colour using the agreed methods, then compare curing behaviour with the approved sample.

Drums: inspect seals, closures, corrosion and leakage, and reconcile batch markings with the delivery documents. Agree sampling and release checks through our quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A generic description such as glycidyl ether can conceal a different reactive diluent or blend. Accepting it without checking identity and epoxy equivalent weight can change the formulation you qualified. Excess water, chlorine impurities or changed colour also warrant investigation before production use.

A sample certificate may describe a different batch from the drums delivered. Require batch-specific results, retain a comparison sample and resolve leaks or document mismatches before releasing the material. Confirm the manufacturing plant and its testing capability through factory verification.

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.