Sourcing tert-butyl alcohol from China

Tert-butyl alcohol duty and classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, tert-butyl alcohol, named as 2-Methylpropan-2-ol, falls under 2905 14 10 00 within heading 2905 for acyclic alcohols and their derivatives. Goods from China carry 4% duty. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table shows buying presentations sharing this single tariff line.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches an export control for waste to this line. Ask your customs broker to confirm its relevance to the transaction. If the proposed shipment is waste rather than chemical stock, confirm the applicable waste shipment procedure before dispatch. Waste shipped under notification controls cannot move until the destination, dispatch and transit authorities have consented.

Confirm the commodity code using the chemical identity and full composition rather than the supplier's description of 'butanol'. Give your broker the specification and safety data sheet, particularly for diluted or formulated products. For the wider heading, see the n-butanol guide.

Specify identity, assay and water content

Write tert-butyl alcohol and 2-Methylpropan-2-ol on the purchase specification. Agree the intended use, assay, maximum water content, impurity profile and test methods. State whether recovered material is acceptable and require a certificate of analysis tied to the production batch. Approve a sample in your process before accepting a substitute grade.

Review whether your import requires UK REACH registration. Before sale in Great Britain, the importer must ensure correct hazard labelling and packaging. Safety data sheets are required under UK REACH. Obtain the sheet for the actual product and agree container compatibility, closure type, storage conditions and unloading arrangements with the supplier and carrier.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative drum-packed trial order of one tonne of tert-butyl alcohol under 2905 14 10 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £670 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,170. Duty at 4% is £126.80. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,296.80, so it is £659.36. Import taxes total £786.16; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £126.80 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the product name across the order, container labels, certificate of analysis and safety data sheet.

Analysis: check batch-specific assay, water and agreed impurities against the purchase specification; arrange independent testing where these affect your process.

Containers: check seals, closures, leakage, corrosion and contamination around openings before accepting delivery.

Traceability: reconcile batch markings and delivered quantity with the packing list; record discrepancies and retain a representative sample using an agreed sampling procedure.

What goes wrong

An order described only as 'butanol' leaves room for the wrong chemical identity. A headline purity result can also conceal an unacceptable water content or an impurity that affects your process. A generic certificate without matching batch identification cannot establish that the delivered stock meets your specification.

Packaging damage and inconsistent documents can make an otherwise suitable batch difficult to receive or release for use. Agree acceptance tests and document checks before dispatch. Hold discrepant stock pending investigation instead of mixing it into existing inventory.

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.