Sourcing phosphorus tribromide from China

Phosphorus tribromide duty and tariff controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 2812 covers halides and halide oxides of non-metals. For phosphorus tribromide, the relevant residual line is 2812 90 00 90, carrying 4% duty for goods from China. The supplied record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table repeats this code for different purchasing specifications, which are not separate tariff categories.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches waste import and export controls and an import control for fluorinated greenhouse gases to this residual line. Ask your customs broker to confirm the requirements applicable to the actual phosphorus tribromide shipment. If a consignment from China is waste subject to notification controls, the exporter must apply to the competent authority in China for consent; the cited Environment Agency guidance covers imports into England.

Confirm the commodity code using the product identity, composition and intended presentation before declaring the goods. A solution or preparation needs its own classification check. For the wider heading, see phosphorus trichloride.

Specify assay, free bromine and sealed packaging

Name phosphorus tribromide explicitly. Agree the assay method, acceptance limits for free bromine and other impurities, appearance, net contents and container materials. For applications sensitive to metals, name each metal to be tested. Require a batch certificate of analysis showing actual results against the agreed specification, rather than a generic product sheet.

Before supplying the chemical in Great Britain, settle classification, labelling and packaging under the applicable chemical rules. A safety data sheet is required when a hazardous chemical is supplied for workplace use. Ask HSE to confirm the UK REACH registration requirements for your substance and business, including imports of a tonne or more annually. Check your UK REACH responsibilities before committing to the order.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 50 kg of phosphorus tribromide in sealed packs, illustrative only under 2812 90 00 90, invoiced at £4,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,000. Duty at 4% is £240. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,240, so it is £1,248. Import taxes total £1,488; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £240 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the purchase specification, container labels and batch certificate to phosphorus tribromide.

Analysis: check assay, free bromine and named impurity results against the contract; agree independent laboratory verification and sampling arrangements before dispatch.

Packaging: check seals, closures, net contents, batch marks and visible damage on arrival; investigate staining or leakage before accepting the lot.

Supply documents: check that the safety data sheet matches the supplied product and review the classification, labels and packaging before release for sale.

What goes wrong

An assay figure alone can conceal an unsuitable impurity profile. A certificate may describe a standard grade rather than the shipped batch, or omit free bromine and metals that matter to the buyer's process. Make those results contractual acceptance criteria and compare the delivered batch with the approved sample.

Loose closures, damaged seals and mismatched labels complicate receipt and traceability. Agree how damaged packs and disputed analysis will be handled before shipment. Use testing and certification support to define the laboratory brief and document checks.

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.