Sourcing surgical tissue adhesives from China

Duty on sterile surgical tissue adhesives

Heading 3006 includes sterile tissue adhesives for surgical wound closure. The relevant line is 3006 10 90 00, covering other sterile surgical materials within this group. The table shows this same tariff line across different presentation formats, rather than separate commodity classifications.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the relevant line carried 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control for this line. Medical-device requirements still need checking before sale.

Confirm the commodity code using the composition, sterile presentation and intended surgical wound-closure use. For the wider adhesive family, see cyanoacrylate adhesives.

Specify the wound-closure use and sterile pack

Specify the intended wound-closure application, adhesive composition, fill quantity, applicator design, viscosity and setting behaviour. Agree the manufacturer's instructions, storage conditions and remaining shelf life at delivery. Keep the approved specification tied to the exact adhesive and applicator combination.

Establish the medical-device classification and conformity assessment route before ordering. The assessment route depends on the device classification. For supply in Great Britain, check suitable CE or UKCA marking, MHRA registration and the Chinese manufacturer's UK Responsible Person. Request sterilisation and sterile-packaging validation, as described in the site's medical sundries guide.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 sterile surgical wound-closure adhesive applicators under 3006 10 90 00, invoiced at £4,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,500, so it is £1,100. 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

Documents: match the manufacturer, product model and intended use across the conformity documents, registration information, instructions and delivered packs.

Sterile barrier: inspect seals, punctures, leaks and crushed packs. Match sterilisation and batch records to the delivered lot; visual inspection alone does not establish sterility.

Applicator: use retained test samples to check activation, controlled dispensing, leakage and setting behaviour against the approved specification.

Shelf life and storage: compare batch identifiers, expiry dates and transport records with the agreed delivery specification. Record damaged or mismatched packs before releasing stock.

What goes wrong

Problems include documents covering a different adhesive formulation, applicators that clog or leak, damaged sterile barriers and too little shelf life remaining on arrival. A sample that dispenses correctly does not establish that the production batch has matching sterile-packaging and sterilisation records.

Agree how formulation, applicator and packaging changes will be reviewed before production. Hold affected stock while discrepancies are investigated, and use testing and certification support to define the evidence needed for the exact product.

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.