Sourcing Sodium Bicarbonate from China

Sodium bicarbonate: 4% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 6 November 2026, sodium hydrogencarbonate, also called sodium bicarbonate or baking soda, falls under 2836 30 00 00 and carries 4% duty for goods from China. The supplied record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for this line.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. For an import into England under notification controls, the exporter must apply to the competent authority in the dispatch country for consent. If buying recovered or off-specification material from China, ask your customs broker to confirm its waste status and the applicable controls before shipment.

Heading 2836 covers carbonates and peroxocarbonates more widely. The table shows purchasing uses of the same sodium bicarbonate line, rather than separate tariff classifications. Confirm the composition and commodity code. See soda ash and other carbonates for the wider heading.

Specify grade, assay and moisture

State whether the sodium bicarbonate is for food manufacture, cleaning, laboratory work or another technical use. Agree assay, moisture, chloride, iron, heavy-metal limits and particle size with the supplier. Request a batch certificate of analysis stating the test methods, and agree lined bags and dry loading conditions.

Confirm the applicable food-additive purity criteria for food-grade sodium bicarbonate with the relevant food authority. A food-grade description on a quotation is insufficient evidence of batch quality. Match the certificate to the intended use and arrange independent testing against the agreed specification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 tonnes of sodium bicarbonate; illustrative order and values under 2836 30 00 00, invoiced at £15,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £17,000. Duty at 4% is £680. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £17,680, so it is £3,536. Import taxes total £4,216; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £680 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step. This example assumes the standard rate. Bicarbonate of soda sold in small tubs as a baking ingredient is zero-rated under HMRC's VAT Notice 701/14; check the rate for industrial grades.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match sodium bicarbonate, grade and batch details across the purchase order, bags and certificate.

Analysis: check assay, moisture and impurity results against the specification; independently test representative arrival samples.

Condition: check for caking, damp powder, torn liners, contamination and signs of water entry.

Packing: check bag seals, net weight and batch identification; retain photographs and labelled samples.

What goes wrong

Technical grade can arrive against a food-grade order, or the certificate can describe a different batch. Assay may fall short, while chloride, iron or heavy metals exceed the agreed limits. Check the actual delivery rather than accepting a generic specification sheet.

Moisture can leave bicarbonate caked inside apparently intact bags. Record affected bags before handling, isolate suspect stock and compare arrival samples with retained supplier samples. Agree how failed batches will be handled before ordering.

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.