Sourcing potassium bitartrate from China
Potassium bitartrate from China carries 6% UK duty, with no trade remedy or suspension listed for its tariff line. For food use in Great Britain, check the permitted use and food-additive specification before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources potassium bitartrate.
Duty on potassium bitartrate
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2918 covers carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function and their derivatives. Potassium bitartrate falls within the salts and esters of tartaric acid line, 2918 13 00 00. The table shows buying specifications sharing this line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions. For other acids, see the food acids guide.
The supplied tariff record gives 6% duty for goods from China under this line, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension listed. Do not apply a tartaric acid suspension to potassium bitartrate merely because their names are related.
The UK Trade Tariff attaches an export control for waste. Environment Agency guidance says waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. If the shipment involves waste or recovery material, confirm the applicable requirement with your customs broker before shipment. Confirm the commodity code using the substance identity, composition and intended use.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potassium bitartrate, food-grade fine powder | 2918 13 00 00 | 6% | None |
Specify the salt, grade and particle size
Specify potassium bitartrate, also called potassium hydrogen tartrate or cream of tartar. Ask for the full composition so the supplier does not substitute dipotassium tartrate or a prepared baking mixture. Agree assay, moisture, particle-size distribution, impurity tests and sealed inner packaging in the purchase specification.
For food use in Great Britain, check the permitted use and conditions in the Food Standards Agency register, and make sure the material meets the applicable food-additive specification. Request a batch certificate of analysis with actual results and named test methods. A supplier's food-grade description alone does not demonstrate conformity.
For technical or laboratory use, review UK REACH before ordering. Confirm with HSE or your chemical adviser whether registration is required for your annual import volume and whether an exemption applies, including for the proposed food use. Assess your intended use rather than assuming every grade has the same exemption.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative pallet of bagged food-grade potassium bitartrate under 2918 13 00 00, invoiced at £3,500 free on board, with £980 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,480. Duty at 6% is £268.80. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £4,748.80, so it is £949.76. Import taxes total £1,218.56; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £268.80 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Identity: match the ordered salt and composition across bag labels, invoice, specification and batch certificate.
Analysis: check assay, moisture and agreed impurity results against the purchase specification; arrange independent testing where supplier evidence needs verification.
Particle size: compare a retained sample with the agreed sieve profile and trial it in your intended blending or dissolving process.
Packing and traceability: check inner seals, dry bags, foreign matter, caking and batch references during quality inspection. Match each delivered batch to its certificate.
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What goes wrong
Similar product names can hide a different salt or a mixture. A generic tartrate certificate may not establish the identity of potassium bitartrate, while a technical-grade certificate may omit the checks needed for a food-use specification. Resolve identity and missing results before releasing the batch.
A powder can meet its assay specification yet perform poorly because particle size differs from the approved sample or bags arrive damp and clumped. Agree sampling and acceptance criteria before dispatch, then isolate damaged bags and investigate mismatched batch references on arrival.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on potassium bitartrate from China?
The supplied tariff record gives 6% under 2918 13 00 00, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension listed.
Is potassium bitartrate the same as cream of tartar?
Cream of tartar is another name for potassium bitartrate. Ask for the substance identity and full composition so a different tartrate salt or baking mixture is not supplied.
What should I ask for when buying food-grade potassium bitartrate?
Check the permitted food use and applicable additive specification. Request batch analysis showing actual assay, moisture and relevant impurity results, with test methods and matching batch references.
Does potassium bitartrate need UK REACH registration?
Confirm with HSE or your chemical adviser whether UK REACH registration is required for your annual substance imports into Great Britain and whether an exemption applies to the intended food or other use. Check the intended use before ordering.