Sourcing sodium sulphate from China
Sodium sulphate from China carries 4% UK duty across both sodium sulphate lines, with no listed trade remedy or suspension. Check UK REACH registration arrangements for imports into Great Britain of one tonne or more per year, and agree the chemical form and assay basis. Cambridge China Bridge sources sodium sulphate.
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Sodium sulphate duty: 4%
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 22 November 2026, both sodium sulphate lines carried 4% duty for goods from China. Neither has a listed anti-dumping or countervailing measure or tariff suspension. Heading 2833 covers sulphates, alums and persulphates; this guide covers its sodium sulphate family. See the wider sulphates and alums guide. Only the sodium sulphate lines are shown below.
The tariff attaches waste import and export controls to both lines. For material from China imported into England under waste notification controls, shipment can begin only after consent from the Environment Agency and the other competent authorities involved. Ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable waste requirements, including for any proposed return to China.
Confirm the commodity code using the chemical identity, form and composition. Disodium sulphate has its own line; do not choose the other sodium sulphates line merely because the supplier uses a different trade name. For the calculation method, see UK import duty and VAT.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disodium sulphate | 2833 11 00 00 | 4% | None |
| Other sodium sulphates | 2833 19 00 00 | 4% | None |
Specify sodium sulphate form and assay
State whether you want anhydrous or hydrated sodium sulphate, its intended use, and whether the assay is measured on the supplied material or a dry basis. Agree acceptance limits and test methods for moisture, insoluble matter, chloride, iron and particle size. Ask for a certificate of analysis tied to the production batch, rather than a generic product sheet.
Substances and mixtures placed on the Great Britain market must be classified and labelled under its chemical classification, labelling and packaging rules. If buying sodium sulphate as a food additive, confirm the applicable additive purity criteria with the relevant food authority; an industrial-grade certificate does not establish that.
Agree bag liners, closures and pallet protection against moisture. Send the factory your intended blending or dosing process so that the agreed particle size and flow characteristics suit the application. Use testing and certification support to arrange checks against the agreed specification.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 24 tonnes of industrial sodium sulphate in 25 kg bags under 2833 11 00 00, invoiced at £4,800 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,300. Duty at 4% is £252. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,552, so it is £1,310.40. Import taxes total £1,562.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £252 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Identity: match the ordered chemical form, bag description and batch numbers to the certificate of analysis.
Assay and impurities: sample across the lot and test assay, moisture, insoluble matter, chloride and iron against the agreed limits and methods.
Handling: check particle size, dust, lumps and flow behaviour against the approved sample and intended dosing process.
Packing: check net bag weights, intact liners, sealed closures, dry pallets and readable batch markings before dispatch and on arrival.
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What goes wrong
A dry-basis assay can look acceptable while the delivered material contains more moisture than the buyer expected. Confusing anhydrous and hydrated material changes the amount of usable salt received. Insoluble matter can obstruct dosing equipment, while excess fines or hard lumps make blending inconsistent.
Bags can arrive torn or caked after moisture exposure. Photograph affected bags, keep batch identities separate and retain representative samples before repacking. Agree how disputed results will be checked and how an off-specification lot will be handled before placing the order.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on sodium sulphate from China?
Both sodium sulphate lines carry 4% duty in the supplied tariff reading, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing measure or suspension.
Does sodium sulphate need UK REACH registration?
For imports into Great Britain of one tonne or more per year, check UK REACH registration arrangements before ordering.
Can I use industrial sodium sulphate as a food additive?
Do not rely on an industrial-grade certificate. Confirm the applicable additive purity criteria for sodium sulphate used as a food additive with the relevant food authority.
How do I check sodium sulphate quality on arrival?
Match batch certificates, sample across the lot, test assay and moisture on the agreed basis, and check impurities, particle size, caking and bag condition.