Sourcing sodium gluconate from China

Duty on dry sodium gluconate

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 October 2026, dry sodium gluconate under 2918 16 00 10 carries 6% duty for goods from China. The supplied record shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. Heading 2918 covers carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function and their derivatives. The application examples in the table share the same dedicated dry sodium gluconate line.

The tariff attaches an export control for waste. This is recorded as an export measure. Environment Agency guidance says waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. If the consignment is waste or recovered material whose status is unclear, ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable requirements before shipment.

Confirm the commodity code using the composition, dry form and chemical identity, including registry number 527-07-1. Have solutions or formulated blends checked separately. See the citric acid and food acids guide for the wider heading.

Specify the grade and formulation performance

Write dry sodium gluconate into the purchase specification and state its intended use. Agree assay, moisture, solution clarity, particle size and limits for chloride, sulphate and other relevant impurities. Specify whether assay is reported on a dry basis or as supplied, and require the supplier to name its test methods.

For concrete use, compare setting behaviour and workability in your actual mix. For cleaning formulations, compare dissolution and performance in your own water and formulation. Approve a sample before buying production stock and retain it for comparison with the delivered batch.

For a new substance import, consider whether UK REACH registration is required. Confirm the registration position for your annual quantity and intended use with HSE. Chemical classification is the supplier's responsibility, including importers. Do not treat an industrial specification as evidence of suitability for food use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: One tonne of dry sodium gluconate, illustrative order under 2918 16 00 10, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £980 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,480. Duty at 6% is £208.80. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,688.80, so it is £737.76. Import taxes total £946.56; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £208.80 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the product name and registry number to the order, bag labels and batch certificate of analysis.

Batch results: compare assay basis, moisture and impurity results with the agreed specification; retain a sample for independent testing.

Powder and performance: check caking, foreign material and dissolution, then repeat the agreed formulation trial before releasing the batch.

Packing and traceability: check bag seals, liners, dryness and batch markings against the certificates. Arrange inspection around these checks.

What goes wrong

A certificate can appear to meet the order while using a different assay basis or test method. Moisture, caking or inconsistent powder size can also make a batch harder to dose or dissolve. Agree acceptance methods before shipment rather than comparing certificates by their headline assay alone.

A satisfactory sample does not settle production-batch performance. Test the delivered lot in the intended concrete mix or cleaning formulation and keep it separate until the results are accepted. Missing batch links between bags and certificates make a quality dispute harder to resolve.

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.