Sourcing tetrabutylammonium bromide from China
Tetrabutylammonium bromide from China has a standard UK duty of 6%, suspended to 0% for qualifying material; mixtures are excluded. Confirm your UK REACH position and arrange competent chemical classification and labelling. Cambridge China Bridge sources tetrabutylammonium bromide.
Tetrabutylammonium bromide duty and suspension
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, tetrabutylammonium bromide has the dedicated code 2923 90 00 55 within heading 2923, which covers quaternary ammonium salts and hydroxides, lecithins and other phosphoaminolipids. Its chemical identity is CAS RN 1643-19-2. Only the dedicated bromide line is shown here.
The standard duty for goods from China is 6%, with an autonomous suspension to 0%. The suspension excludes mixtures, preparations and products made up of different components containing the substance. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty. It attaches dangerous-chemical and waste export controls. Confirm their relevance to your shipment with your customs broker; the record labels them as export controls.
Confirm the commodity code using the substance identity, composition and supplied form before claiming the suspension. For the wider heading, see tetraethylammonium bromide and related salts. HSE states that imports have no PIC notification obligations; this does not resolve the separate waste-control question.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tetrabutylammonium bromide | 2923 90 00 55 | 6% | None |
Specify identity, assay and water content
Specify tetrabutylammonium bromide by its full name and chemical identity, rather than ordering a generic quaternary ammonium salt. Agree the assay basis, water content, appearance, insoluble matter and impurities relevant to your process. Ask whether the supplied material contains any solvent, carrier or other deliberately added component.
Request a batch certificate of analysis with test methods and actual results. Agree a retained sample and test the proposed material in your own process before approving production supply. Define container material, closure, inner liner and batch marking in the purchase specification.
Ask HSE to confirm the UK REACH position for industrial quaternary ammonium salts at one tonne or more a year. Arrange classification and labelling by someone with scientific competence. A safety data sheet is required when a hazardous chemical is supplied for use at work.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative batch of tetrabutylammonium bromide for a chemical business under 2923 90 00 55, invoiced at £21,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £22,800. Duty at 6% is £1,368. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,168, so it is £4,833.60. Import taxes total £6,201.60; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,368 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Identity: match the purchase specification, container labels, certificate of analysis and safety data sheet to tetrabutylammonium bromide.
Batch results: check assay and water content against the agreed specification, including whether results are reported on a dry or supplied basis.
Condition: inspect seals, liners, contamination, discolouration and caking; investigate differences from the approved sample before releasing the batch.
Traceability: match container batch marks to the analysis certificate and retain representative samples. Use the inspection guide to agree sampling and release checks.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
A purity claim becomes difficult to compare when the supplier changes the assay basis or omits water content. A certificate for an earlier batch does not establish the delivered batch's results. Check unexplained caking or discolouration through sampling and testing rather than accepting appearance alone.
Another quaternary ammonium salt is not a substitute merely because its name is similar. A formulated product also needs its own classification review and cannot inherit the pure substance's tariff suspension. Resolve identity, composition and document discrepancies before shipment.
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 tetrabutylammonium bromide from China?
Code 2923 90 00 55 has a standard duty of 6%, with a suspension to 0% for qualifying material. The suspension excludes mixtures and preparations containing it.
Does importing tetrabutylammonium bromide involve UK REACH?
Check your UK REACH position before ordering. Ask HSE to confirm the registration requirements for industrial quaternary ammonium salts at one tonne or more a year.
What should a tetrabutylammonium bromide specification include?
Include identity, assay basis, water content, appearance and process-relevant impurities, together with test methods, packaging and batch traceability.
Is the supplier's analysis certificate enough to accept the batch?
Match it to the delivered batch and agreed methods. Test representative samples for critical properties and trial the material in your process before accepting repeat supply.