Sourcing Sodium Dihydrogen Phosphate from China

4% duty on sodium dihydrogen phosphate

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2835 covers phosphinates, phosphonates, phosphates and polyphosphates. Sodium dihydrogen phosphate falls within phosphates of mono- or disodium, code 2835 22 00 00, at 4% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duty. The table repeats this code for different product forms and grades.

The code's 0% suspension applies only to dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate, a different substance. The tariff also attaches import and export waste controls. If a shipment from China into England is waste under notification controls, shipment can start only after consent from the Environment Agency and the other competent authorities involved. Ask your customs broker to confirm which waste requirements apply to the actual material.

Confirm the commodity code using the chemical identity, hydrate, composition and intended use. For the wider heading, see sourcing trisodium phosphate.

Specify the hydrate and assay basis

Specify sodium dihydrogen phosphate, also called monosodium phosphate, and state whether it is anhydrous, monohydrate or dihydrate. Agree food, laboratory or technical grade; assay on an as-supplied or dried basis; moisture; solution acidity at an agreed concentration; insoluble matter; particle size; and packaging. Require the batch certificate to identify the form and test methods.

For food-grade sodium phosphates, confirm the applicable additive purity criteria, including any arsenic, lead and fluoride limits, with the relevant authority. Ask for batch results rather than accepting a food-grade description alone. Confirm with HSE whether your imports require UK REACH registration.

For sale in Great Britain, classification and labelling must be carried out by someone with scientific competence. Arrange that review alongside the safety data sheet and packaging specification before approving bag artwork.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative pallet order of bagged sodium dihydrogen phosphate under 2835 22 00 00, invoiced at £4,000 free on board, with £1,720 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,720. Duty at 4% is £228.80. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,948.80, so it is £1,189.76. Import taxes total £1,418.56; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £228.80 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the hydrate and grade on bags, invoice and batch certificate; keep disodium phosphate separate from monosodium phosphate.

Analysis: sample across bags and compare assay, moisture, solution acidity, insoluble matter and agreed impurities with the purchase specification.

Condition: check for hard lumps, damp powder, foreign particles, torn liners and leaking seals; test dissolution against the approved sample.

Traceability: match batch markings to certificates, check net weights and retain a sealed sample from each batch.

What goes wrong

A hydrate substitution or a change between dried-basis and as-supplied assay can make certificates look comparable when the delivered material is different. Disodium phosphate supplied against a monosodium order can also alter solution acidity. Write the exact identity and reporting basis into the purchase specification.

Damp powder cakes, damaged liners admit contamination, and a technical-grade batch may fail the agreed food impurity checks. Hold affected stock separately while you investigate, and compare independently tested arrival samples with the supplier's retained samples.

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.