Sourcing potassium sorbate from China

Potassium sorbate duty and suspension

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 October 2026, potassium sorbate under 2916 19 95 30 carried a 6% third-country duty and an autonomous suspension to 0.00 %. The supplied tariff facts list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty for this line. Heading 2916 covers unsaturated and cyclic monocarboxylic acids and their derivatives; this guide concerns potassium sorbate only.

The suspension excludes mixtures, preparations and products made up of different components containing the substance. The tariff also attaches an export control for waste. Ask your customs broker to confirm whether that waste measure affects the proposed transaction, particularly if the material is recovered stock or a rejected batch.

The table shows buying forms under the same substance code, rather than separate tariff lines. Confirm identity, composition and the suspension with your broker using the commodity-code guide. For other substances in this heading, see acrylic and benzoic acids.

Specify grade, assay and physical form

State whether the order is for food use or a technical application, and specify pure potassium sorbate rather than a preservative blend. Agree powder or granules, particle-size acceptance, assay, moisture, colour and impurity tests. Ask for a batch certificate of analysis with test methods and actual results, rather than a generic specification sheet.

For food use in Great Britain, check the food-additive register and the intended food category, maximum use level and other conditions. Ask the supplier to identify the specifications applicable to its material and provide matching analytical evidence. Arrange testing and certification support where the factory's results need independent checking.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 15 tonnes of pure food-grade potassium sorbate in sealed bags, illustrative only under 2916 19 95 30, invoiced at £21,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £23,500. Duty at 6% is £1,410. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,910, so it is £4,982. Import taxes total £6,392; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,410 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the product name, composition and batch references across the order, bag labels and certificate of analysis.

Analysis: check assay, moisture and impurity results against the agreed specification; investigate missing results or a certificate covering a different batch.

Physical condition: examine colour, particle form, lumps and foreign matter; compare a representative sample with the approved sample.

Packaging: check liners, seals and bags for damage or dampness, and record batch references before moving stock into storage.

What goes wrong

An order described only as potassium sorbate leaves room for the wrong grade, physical form or composition. A preservative blend can also undermine the assumed tariff suspension. Put the composition and acceptance criteria into the purchase order and check them against the delivered batch.

Watch for damp packaging, caked material and certificates copied from earlier deliveries. Keep suspect bags separate while you investigate. A food-grade description alone does not establish that the customer's intended food and use level meet the conditions of use.

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.