Sourcing Polybutadiene Rubber from China

Duty on polybutadiene rubber

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 22 November 2026, polybutadiene rubber falls within heading 4002 under 4002 20 00 00. Goods from China carry 0% duty, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension recorded in the supplied tariff data. The table shows purchasing forms sharing the same commodity line.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. Environment Agency guidance for England says waste shipment controls apply only when the material is waste. For material offered as waste or with uncertain status, ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable requirements before shipment, including the tariff's prior written notification and consent procedure.

Confirm the commodity code using the composition and technical data sheet. Rubber already mixed with fillers or curatives is compounded rubber of heading 4005. See the synthetic rubber guide for the wider heading.

Specify the polybutadiene grade and mixing behaviour

Specify the manufacturer's grade, polymer composition, Mooney viscosity, volatile matter, ash, antioxidant and any oil content. Agree the supplied form and wrapping rather than accepting a general description of synthetic rubber. Ask for a batch certificate of analysis and retain an approved sample.

Have your compounder trial the proposed grade in the intended recipe and compare mixing, cure behaviour and finished properties with the current material. Confirm with HSE the UK REACH registration position for the polymer, monomers and additives, including whether any upstream registration covers your imports. Review supply-chain coverage using the UK REACH importer guide.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of polybutadiene rubber in bales under 4002 20 00 00, invoiced at £40,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £42,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £42,000, so it is £8,400. 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 manufacturer, grade and batch markings to the purchase order and certificate of analysis.

Laboratory checks: compare Mooney viscosity, volatile matter and ash with the agreed specification using samples from different bales.

Packing: inspect wrapping, contamination, bale adhesion, cold flow and pallet damage; compare received weights with the packing list.

Processing: compare the sampled lot's mixing and cure behaviour with the approved material before releasing it to production. Agree sampling through the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A nominally equivalent grade can behave differently in the buyer's compound. Viscosity drift changes mixing and extrusion, while an unsuitable antioxidant can stain light-coloured products. Approve the material in your own recipe and agree how a failed batch will be isolated.

Bales can flow together and adhere to their packing during warm transport. Agree wrapping, storage conditions and acceptable condition on arrival. Do not accept an unexplained substitution of reclaimed material for the approved grade; establish its composition and waste status before shipping.

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.