Sourcing herbal heating sticks from China
Tobacco-free herbal heating sticks have candidate UK duty lines of 6% to 16% from China, depending on nicotine content and tobacco-substitute classification. Only safe consumer products may be supplied in Great Britain. Check excise separately before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources tobacco-free herbal heating sticks.
Herbal heating stick duty and classification
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 2404 includes products intended for inhalation without combustion. For tobacco-free herbal heating sticks, candidate lines are 2404 19 10 00 for tobacco substitutes at 16%, 2404 19 90 00 for other non-nicotine products at 6%, and 2404 12 00 90 for other nicotine-containing products at 6%. Confirm the formulation and intended use before choosing a line.
The supplied data records no anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension on these lines. The tobacco-substitute line has no attached controls. The other non-nicotine and nicotine-containing lines carry import and export waste controls; the nicotine-containing line also carries a restriction on entry into free circulation. Ask your customs broker to confirm the application and requirements of these attached controls to the exact goods from China before shipment.
Send the complete ingredient list, nicotine declaration and heating method to your broker to confirm the commodity code. The table separates flavoured and unflavoured purchasing variants sharing the tobacco-substitute code; these are not separate tariff subdivisions. For the wider heading and tobacco-containing sticks, see heated tobacco sticks.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unflavoured nicotine-free herbal heating sticks containing tobacco substitutes | 2404 19 10 00 | 16% | None |
| Other tobacco-free, nicotine-free heating sticks, subject to classification | 2404 19 90 00 | 6% | None |
| Tobacco-free herbal heating sticks containing nicotine, subject to classification | 2404 12 00 90 | 6% | None |
Specify the herbal filling and heater interface
Agree the botanical ingredients, plant parts, processing method, flavourings, humectants and any added nicotine. Specify stick dimensions, filling weight, moisture, wrapper, filter construction and sealed retail packaging. Identify the intended heater models and agree fit, insertion, extraction and heating trials against an approved sample.
Only safe consumer products may be supplied in Great Britain. Arrange testing and certification around the actual formulation and intended heater, including ingredient identity, contamination risks and emissions during heating. Treat food-grade ingredient reports as incomplete purchasing evidence for an inhaled product.
HMRC states that products made wholly or partly from tobacco substitutes can be liable to Tobacco Products Duty. Ask HMRC to assess the exact product before treating it as excise-free. For nicotine-containing variants, UK retail sales are restricted to adults aged 18 and over from 29 October 2026. Obtain a separate review if the stick can also be burned or carries cessation claims.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small wholesale batch of retail-packed nicotine-free herbal substitute heating sticks under 2404 19 10 00, invoiced at £2,016 free on board, with £507 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,523. Duty at 16% is £403.68. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,926.68, so it is £585.34. Import taxes total £989.02; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £403.68 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
Inspection checklist
Filling: match the botanical ingredients, flavour, nicotine declaration and batch reports to the approved formulation.
Construction: check dimensions, filling weight, wrapper seams, filter attachment and loose material against the approved sample.
Heater fit: check insertion, extraction, airflow and residue in the agreed heater models during controlled sample trials.
Packaging: check seals, moisture damage, mould, odour and batch identification during quality inspection; compare artwork with the approved proof.
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What goes wrong
A tobacco-free description can conceal added nicotine or an undisclosed change in botanical filling. A matching outer diameter can also hide a different filter or filling density. Reject unexplained formulation changes and compare heating performance with the retained sample before accepting the batch.
If a consignment from China is waste requiring notification, the exporter must start the consent process through the competent authority in the dispatch country. In England, the importer needs the relevant waste licence, and the recovery facility needs an appropriate permit or exemption. Ask your broker to resolve waste status and the attached tariff controls before accepting rejected stock for 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 herbal heating sticks from China?
The tobacco-substitute line carries 16%. The other non-nicotine inhalation line and the other nicotine-containing inhalation line carry 6%. Confirm the exact formulation and classification.
Are tobacco-free herbal heating sticks exempt from excise?
Do not assume exemption. HMRC says products made wholly or partly from tobacco substitutes can be liable to Tobacco Products Duty. Ask HMRC to assess the exact formulation and use.
Will Chinese herbal sticks fit my existing heater?
Specify the heater models and test approved samples for insertion, extraction, airflow and residue. A matching diameter alone does not establish compatibility.
What should I test before buying herbal heating sticks?
Check botanical identity, nicotine content, contamination risks and emissions with the intended heater. Match reports to the formulation, flavour and batch; inspect moisture, seams and seals.