Sourcing sealants and caulks from China
Silicone, acrylic, polyurethane and MS polymer sealants, caulks, glaziers' putty and painters' fillers from China pay 4% UK duty on all 3 lines of heading 3214, with no anti-dumping duty. Sealants sold for façades, glazing, sanitary joints or floors need a BS EN 15651 declaration of performance and UKCA or CE marking, and hazardous formulations need CLP labels.
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4% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 3214 covers glaziers' putty, grafting putty, resin cements, caulking compounds and other mastics, painters' fillings, and non-refractory surfacing preparations for façades, walls, floors and ceilings. All 3 lines carried 4% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. For finishing paints, see water-based paints and varnishes.
One listed product has a 0% suspension to 31 December 2028 within 3214 10 10 00: an adhesive, sealant or coating material with a tensile strength of more than 434 PSI, for sealing and protecting electronic components in aviation, defence and electronics applications, not of Russian or Belarusian origin. Ordinary construction sealants stay at 4%.
Adhesives and glues are heading 3506 (see our glues guide), and silicones in primary forms that are not ready-to-use sealants are 3910, so confirm the commodity code from the product as sold.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glaziers' putty, resin cements, caulking compounds and other mastics | 3214 10 10 00 | 4%; listed electronics sealant 0% to 31 Dec 2028 | None |
| Painters' fillings | 3214 10 90 00 | 4% | None |
| Other (non-refractory surfacing preparations) | 3214 90 00 00 | 4% | None |
Construction marking and chemical labels
Sealants for façade elements, glazing, sanitary joints, pedestrian walkways and cold-climate use are covered by the harmonised standard series BS EN 15651 under the retained Construction Products Regulation (EU) No 305/2011, so they need a declaration of performance and UKCA or CE marking with the class for each use. Sealants not placed on the market for those construction uses fall outside that system but still need to be safe and correctly labelled.
Sealants that meet a hazard classification, such as those containing isocyanates or certain solvents, need labels under the retained CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 and, when supplied for use at work, a safety data sheet under UK REACH. Sanitary sealants with an anti-mould claim are treated articles under the retained Biocidal Products Regulation (EU) No 528/2012, so the fungicide must be approved for that use, included on the GB Simplified Active Substance List or permitted under applicable transitional arrangements, and the label must name it.
Specifying sealants
Specify the chemistry (acetoxy or neutral-cure silicone, acrylic, polyurethane, MS or hybrid polymer), the BS EN 15651 part and class, movement capability, Shore A hardness, skin time and cure rate, colour, primer requirements, cartridge or sausage size, nozzle, shelf life and storage temperature, and the label languages.
Worked duty example
Take a hypothetical order of 20,000 cartridges of 300 ml sanitary silicone sealant, entered under 3214 10 10 00: £16,000 free on board plus £1,800 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £17,800. The 4% duty on sealant cartridges comes to £712, and import VAT is 20% of £18,512, which is £3,702.40. If you are VAT-registered you normally reclaim the £3,702.40, leaving £712 as the real cost at the border. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.
Inspection checklist
Documents: check the declaration of performance and test reports cover the BS EN 15651 part and class claimed on the label, and check the safety data sheet and CLP label.
Performance: test tensile properties at maintained extension to ISO 8339, elastic recovery to ISO 7389 and slump to ISO 7390 on production samples, and run mould resistance to ISO 846 for sanitary grades.
Cure and packing: record skin time and depth of cure on a sample bead, check colour against the standard, weigh fill per cartridge, and check nozzles, plungers and batch and expiry dates.
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What goes wrong
Sealant orders fail on formulation, shelf life and claims. A cheaper filler-heavy mix shrinks and cracks, acetoxy silicone attacks metal or stone, cartridges cure in the tube before the expiry date, anti-mould grades go black in months, and the label claims a class the test report does not cover.
Test cured samples from each batch and check expiry dates on arrival. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources sealants and fillers for UK builders' merchants and own-label brands, checking the formulator's test reports first. See factory verification. For the reverse trade, see exporting UK adhesives and sealants to China.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on silicone sealant from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, sealants and mastics under 3214 10 10 00 carried 4% from China, with no anti-dumping duty.
Do sealants need UKCA marking?
Sealants placed on the market for façade, glazing, sanitary, walkway or cold-climate joints need a BS EN 15651 declaration of performance and UKCA or CE marking.
Is an anti-mould sealant a biocidal product?
It is a treated article, so the fungicide must be approved for that use, included on the GB Simplified Active Substance List or permitted under applicable transitional arrangements, and named on the label when an anti-mould claim is made.
Are glues in the same heading as sealants?
No. Glues and adhesives are heading 3506.