Sourcing Thymol from China

Thymol duty and tariff scope

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 2907 covers phenols and phenol-alcohols. Unmixed thymol belongs within other monophenols, provisionally under 2907 19 90 90. The table shows purchasing descriptions sharing this residual line, rather than separate tariff subheadings.

The supplied tariff record gives this line 4% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension. It attaches an export waste control. If the consignment involves waste or discarded material, ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable requirement.

Give your broker the substance identity, composition, impurity profile and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Do not assume an oil or formulated preparation shares the classification of unmixed thymol. See the wider phenols guide for neighbouring substances.

Specify thymol identity, assay and intended use

Write the substance identity and intended process into the purchase specification. Agree assay, analytical method, impurity reporting, water content, colour and physical form. Ask the laboratory to distinguish thymol from carvacrol rather than accepting a general description of phenolic material. Request a batch certificate of analysis and a retained sample.

For Great Britain, confirm the applicable UK REACH registration responsibilities with HSE. Registration is per substance and per legal entity. Chemical classification is the supplier's responsibility, including importers. Hazardous chemicals supplied for workplace use require a safety data sheet; obtain an English version and check labels and packaging.

If the intended sale is as a biocidal product, confirm the product authorisation position with HSE before ordering. Specify whether you are buying chemical feedstock or a finished product, and arrange a separate suitability review for any proposed food, cosmetic or medicinal use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 25 kg of thymol crystals; illustrative whole-pound FOB and freight values under 2907 19 90 90, invoiced at £1,800 free on board, with £980 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,780. Duty at 4% is £111.20. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,891.20, so it is £578.24. Import taxes total £689.44; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £111.20 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: match the purchase specification, container labels, certificate and laboratory sample; check that the analytical method distinguishes thymol from related substances.

Batch quality: compare assay, reported impurities, water and colour with the agreed specification; investigate unexplained differences between the certificate and arrival sample.

Packaging: inspect closures, inner liners and containers for leakage, damage, contamination or unexpected agglomeration; record batch marks before moving stock.

Documents: match the English safety data sheet and labels to the supplied material, and retain the certificate, inspection record and batch sample.

What goes wrong

A supplier's product name can conceal a different composition, an unsuitable impurity profile or a formulation instead of unmixed thymol. A certificate without a batch match cannot establish the quality of the delivered stock. Agree the analytical method and acceptance criteria before dispatch, then investigate discrepancies before releasing material into your process.

Damaged seals, discolouration and contamination need an arrival investigation. A laboratory or industrial purchasing description also does not establish suitability for a finished biocidal product. Resolve the intended use and authorisation position before placing the order.

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.