Sourcing stearin pitch from China

Stearin pitch: a candidate duty of 0%

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 1522 covers degras and residues from treating fatty substances or animal or vegetable waxes. Official chapter notes place stearin pitch within this heading. The residual line 1522 00 99 00 carries 0% duty for goods from China, subject to confirming the product's composition and classification. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.

The other table entries are classification comparisons, rather than stearin pitch grades. Oil foots, dregs and soapstocks under 1522 00 91 00 carry 2%. Soapstocks containing oil with olive-oil characteristics carry £25 per 100 kg under 1522 00 31 00; other such residues carry £40 per 100 kg under 1522 00 39 00. Do not classify a shipment using the supplier's trade name alone.

The tariff attaches veterinary control and waste import and export controls. Ask your customs broker to confirm their application to the consignment, including animal-origin entry documentation. Confirm the commodity code using the feedstock, production process and analysis. See the wider degras and oil residues guide for the rest of the heading.

Specify the stearin pitch feedstock and handling

Ask the factory to identify the original fats or oils, whether they are animal or vegetable, and the process producing the residue. Describe the intended industrial use. Agree acid value, moisture, insoluble matter, ash, sulphur and viscosity at an agreed test temperature, with test methods and acceptance criteria. Approve a representative sample before ordering.

Agree the delivery form and packaging with your receiving site. Check whether its unloading equipment can handle the material at the expected arrival temperature. Ask for batch analysis, feedstock traceability, a safety data sheet and evidence supporting the proposed waste or non-waste status.

If animal-derived pitch falls within the official route for fat derivatives used outside the feed chain, that route permits imports from any country, but requires production at an establishment approved to export to Great Britain. Ask your broker and the Animal and Plant Health Agency to confirm whether this route applies, and the required treatment, health certification, entry documents and destination arrangements.

For substances requiring UK REACH registration, importers must ensure valid registration coverage. Check the substance identity and registration position before ordering. Chemical substances and mixtures must be correctly labelled and packaged before being placed on the Great Britain market.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of vegetable-origin stearin pitch, subject to classification under 1522 00 99 00, invoiced at £4,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,500, so it is £1,300. 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. This assumes the goods are standard-rated for VAT. Most food for human consumption is zero-rated, and animal feed can be too, in which case no import VAT is due, so check the rate for your product in HMRC's VAT Notice 701/14.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the feedstock declaration, process description, batch identifiers and sample to the ordered stearin pitch.

Analysis: compare acid value, moisture, insoluble matter, ash and sulphur with the agreed specification; retain a sealed arrival sample.

Handling: check viscosity at the agreed test temperature, packaging condition, seals and compatibility with the unloading equipment.

Documents: reconcile net weight, batch analysis, safety information and waste-status evidence before release into your process. Use the quality inspection guide to prepare the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A dark appearance can conceal differences in feedstock, water content and insoluble material. A sample that performs satisfactorily may be followed by a batch that settles, blocks filters or cannot be pumped on arrival. Specify measurable acceptance criteria and compare the shipment with the approved sample before blending it into stock.

Unresolved animal origin or waste status can also undermine the import plan. For waste moving under notification controls into England, check that all competent-authority consents are in place and the financial guarantee is approved and valid before movement. Have your broker confirm the remaining shipment requirements and any export-control implications before arranging a return.

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.