Importing Household Chemicals from the EU to the UK – A Practical Guide

Importing household chemicals, such as detergents and cleaning products, requires meeting UK customs and technical regulations. Optimising your import processes can help you avoid mistakes and reduce costs. Here is a guide that walks step by step through the key aspects of importing household chemicals into the United Kingdom.

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1. Benefits of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA)

Thanks to the TCA agreement between the EU and the UK, you can import goods duty-free if they meet the rules of origin.

• Rules of origin: Products must have EU preferential origin under the TCA rules for the relevant commodity code – simply buying or shipping them from the EU is not enough.
• Proof of origin: The exporter's statement on origin on the invoice (statement on origin and the REX system) or the importer's knowledge; an EUR.1 certificate is not used in this trade. More: when UK–EU rules of origin avoid duty.
  Products that do not meet the TCA requirements are subject to the duty rates set out in the UK Global Tariff (UKGT).

2. Duties and VAT – what you need to know

• Duties:

  • No duty for goods meeting the TCA rules.
  • For goods without preferential origin, check the duty rate for the specific commodity code (e.g. cleaning products in chapter 34, disinfectants in chapter 38) in the UK Trade Tariff.

• VAT:

  • The applicable rate is 20%.
  • VAT is calculated on the value of the goods, transport costs and any duty.

3. UK REACH requirements and other regulations

UK REACH compliance:
Importing chemicals requires compliance with the UK's system for the registration and control of chemical substances, UK REACH.

• UK REACH applies to chemical substances, including those contained in mixtures (such as detergents). A GB business importing them from the EU has duties under UK REACH, generally including registration of substances imported at 1 tonne a year or more. Importers that were downstream users in the EU before 2021 could notify HSE (a DUIN), and their registration deadlines have been deferred to 27 October 2029, 2030 or 2031 depending on tonnage and hazard; the notification covers substances, not mixtures. Check the scope of your obligations on the HSE: DUIN notification page and in HSE's UK REACH guidance.
• The importer is responsible for the compliance of the products it places on the market.

Product labelling:
Every product must meet the labelling requirements:

• Classification and hazard labelling in line with GB CLP (HSE: CLP in Great Britain).
• For mixtures, the label must include the product identifier and the name, address and telephone number of the supplier (Articles 17–18 GB CLP). According to HSE, a business in Great Britain that brings products in from the EU and sells them on the GB market is an importer and must comply with GB CLP.

Safety Data Sheets (SDS):
The supplier of a product classified as hazardous provides a safety data sheet with information on risks and safe use – ask the manufacturer for it before the first shipment.

Biocidal product regulations:
Disinfectants are subject to the GB biocidal products rules (GB BPR), overseen by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) – check the requirements on the HSE: Biocides pages.

4. Import documentation – the key to fast clearance

• Commercial invoice: Contains data on the value and origin of the goods.
• Packing list: Makes it easier to identify the goods during clearance.
• Proof of origin: Essential for using TCA customs preferences.
• Customs declaration: All goods must be declared to the UK customs system.

5. Costs and additional requirements

• Recycling and waste management:
  Importing goods in packaging is one of the activities covered by the UK's packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme. Obligations fall on a UK-established business that supplied or imported more than 25 tonnes of packaging in the previous year and has annual turnover of £1 million or more (GOV.UK: packaging EPR); where the packaging carries another organisation's brand, the brand owner is obligated.

• Additional costs:

  • Customs clearance.
  • Any UK REACH substance registration.
  • Transport insurance.

Summary: a checklist for importers

1. Verify the rules of origin: Take advantage of TCA customs preferences.
2. Check your UK REACH obligations: Establish whether the substances in your products need registering or fall under a transitional period.
3. Take care of labelling: Prepare labels that meet UK requirements.
4. Prepare full documentation: Invoices, packing lists and SDS.
5. Calculate VAT and import costs: Include all charges in your calculation.

Planning to import household chemicals into the United Kingdom? Before the first shipment, check origin, your UK REACH and GB CLP obligations and the full set of documents. We can help with classification, documentation and the UK customs declaration – get in touch, email info@agencjacelna.uk or call +44 333 335 5072.

Frequently asked questions