Sourcing Stearamide from China

Stearamide: use the residual amide line

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2924 covers carboxyamide-function compounds and amide-function compounds of carbonic acid. For unformulated stearamide, use 2924 19 00 90 as the working classification for broker confirmation. The table repeats this residual line for different physical forms, rather than showing separate tariff classifications.

The supplied line carries 6% duty for goods from China and lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty. Its suspensions are substance-specific; the supplied footnotes do not identify stearamide, and a suspension footnote is truncated. Do not budget for suspension relief without checking the complete conditions. The tariff also attaches an export control for waste. Waste shipment controls apply when the material is waste; ask your broker to confirm any requirement for your shipment.

Give your broker the chemical identity, composition, impurities and any added ingredients before confirming the commodity code. Have formulated blends assessed separately. For neighbouring products within this heading, see the oleamide guide.

Specify stearamide identity and processing behaviour

Order against a written stearamide specification, rather than a generic fatty amide description. Agree assay, related fatty amides, free fatty acid, moisture, melting behaviour, colour and particle size, with test methods and acceptance criteria. State whether you need powder, granules or flakes and whether any processing aid is added.

For plastic processing, compare a sample in your own resin and process. Assess dispersion, surface appearance, slip behaviour and downstream printing or bonding where relevant. Request a batch certificate of analysis and retain an approved sample for comparison.

For Great Britain, confirm UK REACH registration requirements with HSE before ordering. Registration is per substance and legal entity. Chemical suppliers, including importers, are responsible for classification. If the material is hazardous and supplied for use at work, a safety data sheet is required.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 1 tonne of unformulated stearamide powder under 2924 19 00 90, 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 stearamide name, supplier grade and batch reference across the purchase order, analysis certificate and delivered bags.

Analysis: compare assay, moisture, free fatty acid and melting results with the agreed methods and limits; investigate results copied unchanged between batches.

Physical condition: check colour, particle size, caking, foreign particles and whether the delivered form matches the approved sample.

Packaging: check seals, liners, moisture damage and batch marking; retain a representative arrival sample before releasing material to production.

What goes wrong

A generic fatty amide quotation can conceal a different composition or a formulated blend. A sample that looks acceptable may disperse poorly, change surface behaviour or interfere with printing in your process. Compare composition and processing results before accepting a substitute.

Moisture ingress, damaged liners and caking can make a batch difficult to feed consistently. Hold affected material apart, photograph the packaging and compare arrival samples with the retained approved sample. Agree the investigation and acceptance decision before using the batch.

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.