Sourcing sodium lactate solutions from China

Sodium lactate solution duty and classification

Heading 2918 covers carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function and their derivatives. Sodium lactate belongs to the lactic-acid salts family. The relevant supplied line is 2918 11 00 80, covering other lactic acid, salts and esters. The table shows purchasing grades sharing that line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, the supplied line carries 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension listed. It attaches an export control for waste. Environment Agency guidance says waste shipment controls apply only to waste; confirm any waste-related requirement with your customs broker if the consignment is discarded or recovered material.

Give your broker the full composition, concentration, intended use and batch analysis to confirm the commodity code. Flag additional ingredients rather than assuming every formulation uses the same line. See the calcium lactate guide for another lactate within the wider heading.

Specify concentration, grade and assay basis

Specify sodium lactate concentration by weight in the supplied solution, not just purity on a dry basis. Agree the water content, acidity, colour, density, impurity tests and test methods. Ask the factory to declare every added ingredient and provide batch-specific analysis. Set microbial acceptance criteria with your laboratory where relevant to the intended use.

For food orders, check the Food Standards Agency authorisation register for the intended application and the applicable food-grade purity criteria. Request evidence against those criteria rather than accepting a generic technical-grade certificate. For non-food uses, establish the UK REACH position before ordering; confirm registration obligations and any qualifying food-use exemptions with HSE.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: one tonne of sodium lactate solution in sealed drums under 2918 11 00 80, 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: check sodium lactate identity and compare the supplied composition with the approved sample and purchase specification.

Concentration: test the solution as supplied; distinguish solution strength from dry-basis assay and record the method used.

Condition: compare colour, clarity and acidity with the agreed specification; investigate sediment, unexpected odour or contamination.

Packing: check drum seals, closures, leakage and net mass; match every lot number to its analysis certificate and retain an arrival sample. Agree sampling through the inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A dry-basis purity result can conceal a solution that is weaker than ordered, changing the amount needed in your formulation. A generic certificate may omit concentration or refer to another batch. Treat unexpected colour, sediment or acidity as reasons to hold the lot and investigate.

Leaking closures, missing lot labels and undocumented added ingredients make acceptance harder. Agree test methods and rejection criteria before manufacture, then compare arrival samples with the approved sample before releasing the shipment into production.

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.