Sourcing security printing inks from China
Security printing inks from China normally carry 6% UK duty; qualifying suspensions can reduce this to 0%, giving a conditional 0% to 6% range. For Great Britain, check UK REACH registration for constituent substances and safety data sheets for hazardous workplace inks. Cambridge China Bridge sources security printing inks.
Normally 6%, with narrowly defined suspensions
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 3215 covers printing, writing, drawing and other inks. Security printing ink has no dedicated line in the supplied tariff data. Black printing ink falls under 3215 11 00 00 and other printing ink under 3215 19 00 90. The table also includes related supply forms; heat-sensitive ink fixed on plastic film is distinct from bulk colour-changing printing ink.
The listed ink lines carry 6% standard duty from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty recorded. Black and other printing inks have 0% suspensions only for the specified liquid vinyl acrylate copolymer and pigment dispersions in isoparaffins, containing no more than 13% copolymer and pigments by weight. Heat-sensitive ink fixed on plastic film also has a suspension. Other-ink suspensions concern specified toner powder or ink formulation for cartridge manufacture under authorised use; a security function alone does not qualify.
The tariff attaches an import waste control to these lines. Ask your customs broker to confirm its application to the shipment. For waste imported into England under notification controls, shipment can begin only after consent from the Environment Agency and the other competent authorities involved. Confirm the commodity code using composition, printing use and supply form. For wider printing-ink coverage, see offset lithographic printing inks.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black printing ink, including black security grades | 3215 11 00 00 | 6% | None |
| Other printing ink, including coloured security grades | 3215 19 00 90 | 6% | None |
| Other ink formulations, subject to classification | 3215 90 70 90 | 6% | None |
| Heat-sensitive ink fixed on plastic film, where supplied in that form | 3215 90 70 20 | 6% | None |
Specify the security response and printing process
Define the intended feature: fluorescence under a specified lamp, an invisible mark, a colour change or a magnetic response. Agree the lamp or reader, viewing conditions, substrate, ink deposit and acceptance sample. Specify the printing process, binder, solvent system, viscosity, drying or curing method and resistance to rubbing, water and the chemicals the printed item will encounter.
For Great Britain, confirm the applicable UK REACH registration threshold for each constituent substance and whether the manufacturer's UK Only Representative covers your imports with HSE or your chemical adviser. Registration is per substance, per legal entity. Ask for constituent identities and concentrations through an agreed confidential route, and obtain an English safety data sheet for the formulation. Hazardous chemicals supplied for workplace use require a safety data sheet.
Approve a printed trial on your actual substrate and equipment before accepting production stock. Keep the ink sample and printed reference together, and agree how formulation changes will be approved. Define practical batch tests through testing and certification.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 2 tonnes of coloured security printing ink for a business printer, illustrative only under 3215 19 00 90, invoiced at £12,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £12,900. Duty at 6% is £774. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £13,674, so it is £2,734.80. Import taxes total £3,508.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £774 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Security response: compare sampled production ink with the approved print using the agreed lamp or reader, including background interference from the substrate.
Print performance: check viscosity, dispersion, drying or curing, adhesion and rub resistance on the intended paper, label or film.
Batch identity: match container labels, formulation reference and batch certificate to the approved grade; retain an ink sample and a printed proof.
Packing and documents: check seals, leakage, settled material and container condition on arrival; match the safety data sheet to the delivered formulation.
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What goes wrong
A fluorescent ink can look satisfactory in a factory photograph yet give a weak response under the buyer's lamp. Brighteners in the paper can obscure an invisible mark, and varnish or lamination can change the observed response. Test the finished print with its intended reader and finishing process.
Pigment settling, inconsistent dispersion or a changed binder can alter both press behaviour and authentication response. Hold a batch that differs from the agreed reference while it is investigated. A generic colour certificate does not establish that the security feature works on your printed product.
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 security printing ink from China?
Normally 6% under the black or other printing-ink lines. Specified suspensions can reduce duty to 0%; the security function alone does not qualify. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty is recorded in the supplied data.
Does security printing ink need UK REACH registration?
For Great Britain, confirm the applicable UK REACH registration threshold for constituent substances with HSE or your chemical adviser. Confirm your registration position or coverage by the manufacturer's UK Only Representative; assess substances rather than total ink weight.
How do I check fluorescent security ink before ordering?
Print on your actual substrate, then compare with an approved reference under the agreed lamp and viewing conditions. Repeat after varnishing or lamination if those processes are part of the finished product.
Does colour-changing ink qualify as heat-sensitive ink on film?
Do not assume so. The listed film line describes heat-sensitive ink fixed on plastic film. Bulk colour-changing printing ink needs classification based on its formulation, use and supplied form.