Sourcing sodium sulphoxylate from China

Duty on sodium formaldehyde sulphoxylate

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 2831 covers dithionites and sulphoxylates. Its sodium line, 2831 10 00 00, carries 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff facts list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. Only the sodium line is relevant to this product, so the table contains that line.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. Waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. If a proposed shipment from China is waste, the importer should confirm the applicable requirements with their customs broker and the relevant regulator before shipment.

Give your broker the composition, hydrate form and safety data sheet to confirm the commodity code, particularly for formulated blends. See the wider dithionites and sulphoxylates guide for the rest of this heading.

Specify identity, assay and reducing performance

Name sodium formaldehyde sulphoxylate explicitly rather than ordering a generic reducing agent. Specify the hydrate form, powder or crystal form, assay and reporting basis, moisture, insoluble matter, free formaldehyde and particle size. Agree the test methods and a reducing-performance trial using your own process conditions. Ask for a batch certificate of analysis and a retained sample.

For Great Britain, confirm the UK REACH registration position with HSE before importing the substance. Registration is per substance and per legal entity. Labels and packaging must comply before supply. Safety data sheets are required by UK REACH; request the sheet for the actual composition being ordered and compare its handling and storage information with your warehouse arrangements.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 1 tonne of sodium formaldehyde sulphoxylate under 2831 10 00 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £980 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,480. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,480, so it is £696. 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 the product name, hydrate form and batch identification across the order, packaging, safety data sheet and analysis certificate.

Assay: independently test representative batch samples against the agreed assay basis, reducing performance, moisture and free formaldehyde specification.

Condition: check for caking, discolouration and insoluble material, then compare dissolution and process performance with the approved sample.

Packing: inspect seals, inner liners, leaks, net weight and batch markings; compare labels with the safety data sheet. Use a written inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A supplier may quote assay on a different moisture or hydrate basis, making certificates difficult to compare. Other risks include substitution with another reducing agent, caked material, damaged liners and a batch that meets the stated assay but performs poorly in your process. Agree both the analytical basis and the application trial before approving production.

Keep suspect batches separate until the agreed checks are complete. Record packaging condition on arrival and retain samples for comparison with the supplier's batch records. A satisfactory sample alone does not establish that the delivered batch meets the specification.

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.