Sourcing salicin from China
Salicin provisionally classified under 2938 90 90 90 carries 6% standard UK duty from China. Confirm its identity and intended use before ordering: novel foods require authorisation before sale in Great Britain, and a supplier's grade description does not establish that status. Cambridge China Bridge sources salicin.
Salicin classification and UK duty
Heading 2938 covers natural or synthetic glycosides and their salts, ethers, esters and other derivatives. For separately defined salicin, 2938 90 90 90 is the candidate residual line. Confirm the composition before using it; a willow extract described by its salicin content needs its own classification assessment.
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 8 November 2026, the candidate line carries 6% standard duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure recorded in the supplied data. Its suspension concerns a specified purified steviol glycoside for beverage manufacture, so it does not describe salicin. The tariff also attaches an export waste control. Environment Agency guidance says waste shipment controls apply only to waste; confirm any requirement with your customs broker if the consignment is waste.
Give your broker the substance identity, composition, production route and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Only the residual line in the supplied data is relevant here. See the wider glycosides guide for neighbouring products; their suspensions should not be applied to salicin.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other glycosides: candidate line for separately defined salicin | 2938 90 90 90 | 6% | None |
Specify salicin identity, assay and intended use
Specify isolated salicin or a plant extract explicitly. Agree the identity test, salicin assay, whether the result is reported on a dry or supplied basis, moisture, residual solvents and particle size. Ask for the production route, any carriers or processing aids, and a batch certificate of analysis with the analytical method. Compare samples using the same method.
For food or supplement use, investigate the exact ingredient's novel food status rather than relying on a supplier's 'food grade' description. Novel foods need authorisation before being placed on the Great Britain market. Herbal ingredients do not exclude a product from being a medicine, so resolve the intended presentation before approving sales claims.
UK REACH generally covers individual substances, including substances in mixtures. Establish your UK REACH position for the proposed use and annual import quantity before shipment. The site's wider guide flags imports of one tonne or more annually as needing this assessment.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small trial consignment of salicin powder, not a quotation 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: compare a representative batch sample with the agreed salicin reference and identity method; do not accept an assay figure alone.
Assay: check the chromatogram, calculation basis and moisture result against the contract and batch certificate. Have an independent laboratory investigate unexplained differences.
Impurities: test the agreed residual solvents and relevant contaminants; include microbiology where appropriate to the intended use.
Packing: check sealed liners, dry powder, intact containers and matching batch identifiers on labels, certificates and samples. Record arrival condition using the inspection guide.
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What goes wrong
A salicin-rich extract can be offered against a specification for isolated salicin. An assay reported on a dry basis can also look better than the supplied powder's result. Ask for the complete composition and calculation basis, retain an approved sample, and compare production material before accepting the batch.
Other acceptance problems include moisture uptake, caking, solvent results outside the agreed specification and certificates belonging to a different batch. Hold affected material while the supplier and laboratory investigate. Keep the decision about suitability for food or other intended uses separate from whether the powder passes its purchase specification.
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 salicin from China?
The candidate line 2938 90 90 90 carries 6% standard duty in the supplied tariff data. Its steviol glycoside suspension does not describe salicin. Confirm classification before shipping.
Can I sell imported salicin in food supplements?
Check the exact ingredient's novel food status and intended presentation first. Novel foods require authorisation before sale in Great Britain. A supplier's 'food grade' description does not settle this.
Is salicin powder the same as willow extract?
Do not treat the descriptions as interchangeable. Ask whether the shipment is isolated salicin or an extract containing other constituents, then agree its composition and assay method.
What should I ask for with a salicin sample?
Request the batch certificate, identity test, assay method and calculation basis, moisture and residual solvent results, production route and complete composition. Compare samples by the same method.