Sourcing dental impression silicones from China

Duty on silicone dental impression materials

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 3407 covers dental impression compounds put up in sets, retail packings or the specified forms, alongside modelling pastes, dental wax and plaster-based dental preparations. This guide focuses on silicone impression materials.

The supplied tariff record gives 3407 00 00 00 a duty of 0% for goods from China. It lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control. The table shows product forms sharing this code, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

Confirm the formulation, intended use and packaging against the commodity code guide. For another impression-material family within the wider heading, see dental alginate impression powders.

Specify the silicone system and clinical use

Specify addition-cured or condensation-cured silicone, putty or cartridge format, viscosity, mixing ratio, working and setting behaviour, dispensing-gun compatibility and mixing tips. Agree acceptance criteria for detail reproduction, elastic recovery, tearing and dimensional stability. Ask for the intended disinfection method, storage conditions, shelf life and remaining shelf life on arrival.

Ask MHRA to confirm whether the clinical-use dental impression materials are medical devices under the Medical Devices Regulations 2002. Before placing a device on the Great Britain market, it must be registered with MHRA. A manufacturer outside the UK must appoint a UK responsible person to register and act on its behalf.

Manufacturers must hold clinical data supporting their device claims. Ask for evidence matched to the exact formulation and intended use, alongside the conformity documents and registration details. Agree the document review and product testing through testing and certification before approving production.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small-distributor shipment of silicone dental impression cartridge sets under 3407 00 00 00, invoiced at £20,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £22,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £22,500, so it is £4,500. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match product names, formulation references, batch details and clinical-use documents to the goods shipped.

Dispensing and mixing: check cartridge fit, seals, mixing-tip attachment and consistent extrusion; mix putty components using the supplied instructions and inspect for streaks or uncured areas.

Set material: compare working and setting behaviour with the agreed specification; inspect test impressions for voids, surface detail, tearing and recovery after removal from the test model.

Packaging and storage: check leakage, damaged closures, expiry information, instructions and remaining shelf life; compare transport records with the supplier's specified storage conditions.

What goes wrong

A sample can perform differently from the shipment when the formulation, catalyst or packaging changes. Watch for uneven mixing, blocked tips, incomplete curing, tears at thin margins and distorted impressions. Ask the supplier to investigate against retained samples and batch records before accepting replacement stock.

A generic silicone report may cover industrial mould-making material rather than the clinical product ordered. Keep document approval separate from physical inspection, and hold stock with unresolved identity, curing or packaging problems out of distribution pending review.

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.