Sourcing puerarin from China
Puerarin's candidate residual line carries 6% standard UK duty from China, with no listed trade remedy. Its 0% suspension covers specified steviol glycosides, not puerarin. For food use, novel foods need authorisation before sale in Great Britain. Cambridge China Bridge sources puerarin.
Puerarin classification and duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 2938 covers natural or synthesised glycosides and their salts, ethers, esters and other derivatives. For isolated puerarin, check the residual code 2938 90 90 90 with your customs broker. The table repeats this candidate line for different intended uses; these are not separate tariff subheadings.
The supplied facts give this line a standard China-origin duty of 6%, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure listed. Its 0% suspension names a specified purified steviol glycoside for beverage manufacture, so it does not establish relief for puerarin. The attached control is labelled export control for waste. Waste shipment controls apply only to waste; confirm any waste-related requirement with your customs broker if the shipment involves discarded material.
Confirm the commodity code using the chemical identity, composition, purity and presentation. Describe whether the shipment is isolated puerarin or a broader plant extract. The wider glycosides guide covers the other substances within this heading.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puerarin powder for laboratory research; classification to confirm | 2938 90 90 90 | 6% | None |
Specify puerarin identity, assay and intended use
Specify puerarin content rather than total flavonoids or total extract. Agree the assay method, whether results use a dried or as-received basis, the impurity profile, moisture, particle size and residual solvent checks. Ask for the extraction or synthesis route, batch chromatograms and a retained sample. Compare supplier samples using the same laboratory method.
For proposed food or supplement use, establish the product's novel food position before ordering. Novel foods need authorisation before placement on the Great Britain market. This guide does not establish that a particular puerarin ingredient is authorised. For medicinal active substances, UK-based importers must register with the medicines regulator. Discuss the proposed supply route with that regulator before committing.
Establish your UK REACH position for annual substance imports and confirm any applicable registration threshold or exemption with HSE. Keep intended use separate from the supplier's grade description. Use factory verification to check who makes the powder and which laboratory produces its batch results.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 kilograms of isolated puerarin powder for formulation trials, illustrative only under 2938 90 90 90, invoiced at £3,500 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,000. Duty at 6% is £300. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,300, so it is £1,060. Import taxes total £1,360; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £300 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Identity and assay: compare the puerarin identification result and chromatogram with the agreed reference material; check assay basis and method against the contract.
Impurities: compare moisture, residual solvents and relevant contaminant results with the agreed specification. Investigate unexplained peaks rather than accepting a headline purity result.
Packing: check seals, liners, moisture damage and caking. Match the product name and batch identifiers on each container to the analysis certificate.
Batch records: check that test results refer to the shipped batch and retain representative samples. Arrange independent checks through testing and certification.
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What goes wrong
An extract certificate may report total flavonoids while the purchase order specifies puerarin. Results can also differ because the supplier reports on a dried basis and the receiving laboratory tests the powder as delivered. Moisture ingress, residual extraction solvent and inconsistent particle size are practical failure points to investigate.
A supplier's food-grade or pharmaceutical-grade description does not settle the intended-use checks. Resolve these before payment, then use the same assay method for sample approval and shipment testing. Keep release decisions tied to the shipped batch through the quality inspection guide.
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 puerarin from China?
The candidate code 2938 90 90 90 has 6% standard duty in the supplied tariff facts. No trade remedy is listed. Its steviol suspension does not establish relief for puerarin; confirm classification.
Can I sell imported puerarin in food supplements?
Do not rely on a supplier's food-grade label. Establish the ingredient's novel food position; novel foods need authorisation before sale in Great Britain. This guide does not establish puerarin authorisation.
Is total flavonoid content the same as puerarin content?
Do not accept total flavonoids as the agreed puerarin assay. Specify a puerarin-specific identification and assay method, reporting basis and impurity checks.
Do I need registration to import puerarin as a medicinal active?
UK-based businesses importing medicinal active substances must register with the medicines regulator. Confirm the requirements for the proposed product and supply route before ordering.