Polyethylene and EVA granules from China
Low-density and high-density polyethylene and EVA granules from China pay 6% UK duty, while ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymers with a specific gravity below 0.94, the usual form of LLDPE, pay 0%, with no anti-dumping duty. Chlorinated polyethylene powder enters at 0% under a suspension. Food contact grades need a declaration of compliance. Cambridge China Bridge sources polyethylene.
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6% or 0% by polymer type
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, polyethylene of specific gravity below 0.94, including linear polyethylene, polyethylene of 0.94 or more, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers carried 6% duty on goods from China, while ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymers of specific gravity below 0.94 carried 0%, with no anti-dumping measure. Chlorinated polyethylene in powder form entered at 0% under a suspension to 31 December 2028, and one narrow EVA suspension to 31 December 2026 covers high vinyl acetate, low melt flow grades not in pellet form.
Whether an LLDPE grade is a polyethylene or an ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymer for tariff purposes depends on its comonomer content, so ask the producer for the composition and get an advance tariff ruling for a regular grade. Confirm the commodity code. Our resins guide covers PET and polycarbonate. For polypropylene, see our polypropylene granules sourcing guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linear polyethylene, specific gravity below 0.94 | 3901 10 10 90 | 6% | None |
| Other polyethylene below 0.94 (LDPE) | 3901 10 90 90 | 6% | None |
| Polyethylene of 0.94 or more (HDPE) | 3901 20 90 00 | 6% | None |
| Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers | 3901 30 00 99 | 6% | None |
| Ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymers below 0.94 | 3901 40 00 90 | 0% | None |
| Chlorinated polyethylene powder | 3901 90 80 97 | 6%; 0% to 31 Dec 2028 | None |
Food contact, REACH and packaging tax
Polyethylene for food packaging, films and containers must comply with retained Regulation 10/2011 on plastic food contact materials: ask for a declaration of compliance naming the grade and the migration testing behind it. Polymers are exempt from UK REACH registration, but an importer may need to register monomers or additives above one tonne a year unless they are registered further up the chain; see our UK REACH guide.
Plastic Packaging Tax is charged on finished plastic packaging, not on imported resin, but packaging makers will ask for recycled content evidence if a grade contains recycled polymer. Recycled grades also need the food contact position checked separately, because recycled plastic for food contact has its own rules.
Worked duty example
For a made-up shipment of 25 tonnes of HDPE blow-moulding granules under 3901 20 90 00, add the £3,000 of freight and insurance to the £26,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £29,000. At 6%, duty on these HDPE granules is £1,740; import VAT of £6,148 is 20% of the value with duty added. Together that is £7,888, but a VAT-registered importer usually gets the VAT back. An ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymer of density below 0.94 under 3901 40 00 90 would enter at 0% on the same value, which is why the grade's classification matters. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
What goes wrong
Polyethylene lots fail in the customer's process. Melt flow rate or density drift outside the grade window so film gauge or bottle weight changes, gels and fish-eyes appear in film, additive packages such as slip, antiblock or UV stabiliser differ from the approved grade, and off-grade or recycled material is mixed in without disclosure. Bags split in transit and moisture or contamination gets in.
Test each lot for melt flow rate to ISO 1133-1 and density to ISO 1183-1 against the data sheet, run a film or moulding trial on the first lot, check gels on a film sample, compare additive content with the approved grade, and inspect bag labels, lot numbers and pallet wrapping before loading.
Cambridge China Bridge sources polyethylene and EVA granules for film, moulding and cable makers, including trial lots before a regular contract. Replacing a current resin supplier? See our second-supplier service. For sheets instead of granules, see our EVA foam sheet sourcing guide.
Related guides: Polystyrene and ABS granules from China.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on HDPE from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, polyethylene of specific gravity 0.94 or more carried 6% from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
Why can LLDPE be duty-free?
Ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymers below 0.94 specific gravity carried 0%; whether a grade qualifies depends on its comonomer content.
Does Plastic Packaging Tax apply to imported resin?
No. It applies to finished plastic packaging, not to polymer granules.
How is a polyethylene lot tested?
Melt flow rate to ISO 1133-1 and density to ISO 1183-1, with a film or moulding trial and a gel check.