Subheading · Chapter 28 · Heading 2815
2815.20: Potassium hydroxide (caustic potash)
Subheading 2815.20 belongs to heading 2815 (sodium hydroxide) in chapter 28.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 2815 20 00 00 Potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) 4%+3kg KOH
Additional duties and import rules
Charges on top of the customs duty, and rules the goods must meet at the border.
Additional duties and charges 2
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 833
- Documents
- 9018
- Duty suspensionSuspension - goods for certain categories of ships, boats and other vessels and for drilling or production platforms Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- 2020 No. 1431
- Documents
- C990 End use authorisation ships and platforms (Column 8c, Annex A of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446)
Import requirements 4
- Prohibition or restrictionImport prohibition
- Applies to goods from
- North Korea
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/411
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
- Import controlImport control on restricted goods and technologies
- Applies to goods from
- Iran
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/461
- Documents
- Y966 Goods other than those described in the MG footnotes linked to the measure (Missile Technology Control Regime list - Annex III of Reg. (EU) 267/2012)
- Import controlImport control - Waste
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/590
- Documents
- C672 Information document accompanying shipments of waste as mentioned in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 – Article 18 and Annex VII
- C669 Notification document as mentioned in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 - Article 5 and Annex IA
- Y923 Product not subjected to the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2024/1157
- C670 Movement document as mentioned in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 – Article 5 and Annex IB
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | 4% |
| DCTS Comprehensive | Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin and 38 moreAfghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo - Kinshasa, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia | Free |
| European Union (including code "EU") | Free | |
| DCTS Enhanced | Algeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville and 13 moreAlgeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville, Cook Islands, Kyrgyzstan, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Niue, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu | Free |
| CARIFORUM | Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize and 10 moreAntigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago | Free |
| OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories) | Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands and 7 moreAnguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, St Helena, Turks & Caicos Islands | Free |
| Central America | Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama | Free |
| SADC EPA | Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia | Free |
| Eastern and Southern Africa States | Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe | Free |
| CPTPP | Brunei, Malaysia | Free |
| UK–Andorra agreement | Andorra | Free |
| UK–Albania agreement | Albania | Free |
| UK–Australia agreement | Australia | Free |
| UK–Canada agreement | Canada | Free |
| UK–Switzerland agreement | Switzerland | Free |
| UK–Côte d’Ivoire agreement | Côte d’Ivoire | Free |
| UK–Chile agreement | Chile | Free |
| UK–Cameroon agreement | Cameroon | Free |
| UK–Colombia agreement | Colombia | Free |
| UK–Ecuador agreement | Ecuador | Free |
| UK–Egypt agreement | Egypt | Free |
| UK–Fiji agreement | Fiji | Free |
| UK–Faroe Islands agreement | Faroe Islands | Free |
| UK–Georgia agreement | Georgia | Free |
| UK–Ghana agreement | Ghana | Free |
| DCTS Standard | Indonesia | Free |
| UK–Israel agreement | Israel | Free |
| UK–India agreement | India | Free |
| UK–Iceland agreement | Iceland | Free |
| UK–Jordan agreement | Jordan | Free |
| UK–Japan agreement | Japan | Free |
| UK–Kenya agreement | Kenya | Free |
| UK–South Korea agreement | South Korea | Free |
| UK–Lebanon agreement | Lebanon | Free |
| UK–Liechtenstein agreement | Liechtenstein | Free |
| UK–Morocco agreement | Morocco | Free |
| UK–Moldova agreement | Moldova | Free |
| UK–North Macedonia agreement | North Macedonia | Free |
| UK–Mexico agreement | Mexico | Free |
| UK–Norway agreement | Norway | Free |
| UK–New Zealand agreement | New Zealand | Free |
| UK–Peru agreement | Peru | Free |
| UK–Papua New Guinea agreement | Papua New Guinea | Free |
| UK–Palestinian Territories agreement | Palestinian Territories | Free |
| UK–Serbia agreement | Serbia | Free |
| UK–Solomon Islands agreement | Solomon Islands | Free |
| UK–Singapore agreement | Singapore | Free |
| UK–San Marino agreement | San Marino | Free |
| UK–Tunisia agreement | Tunisia | Free |
| UK–Türkiye agreement | Türkiye | Free |
| UK–Ukraine agreement | Ukraine | Free |
| UK–Vietnam agreement | Vietnam | Free |
| UK–Samoa agreement | Samoa | Free |
| UK–XC agreement | XC | Free |
| UK–Kosovo agreement | Kosovo | Free |
| UK–XL agreement | XL | Free |
| UK–South Africa agreement | South Africa | Free |
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 South Korea | £2.4m | 24.1% | +56% |
 Italy | £1.8m | 18.5% | -20.4% |
 Belgium | £1.5m | 15.6% | -82.5% |
 Czechia | £1.5m | 14.8% | +16.2% |
 France | £1.5m | 14.8% | -17.9% |
 China | £600k | 6% | +6.6% |
 United States | £348k | 3.5% | +16.5% |
 Germany | £91k | 0.9% | -39.2% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU 5.5% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Türkiye 25% Statutory rate (Law 474) 1 tariff line USA Free General (MFN) 1 tariff line The Turkish schedule prints the statutory rate set under Customs Law 474. The rate applied at import is laid down in the Import Regime Decision and can be lower, or different by country of origin.
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$159.1kUS$159.1k+US$1.5m+US$12.7m+> US$105.5m
Exports: 90
- South Korea: US$200.7m
- Belgium: US$153.2m
- United States: US$105.5m
- China: US$83.1m
- Czechia: US$65.6m
- Italy: US$62.3m
- Germany: US$40.7m
- France: US$33.9m
- Japan: US$12.7m
- Russia: US$10.7m
- Malaysia: US$9.2m
- Netherlands: US$7.4m
- Sweden: US$7.3m
- Brazil: US$6.8m
- Taiwan: US$6.5m
- Spain: US$5.6m
- Jordan: US$4m
- Thailand: US$3.3m
- India: US$2.5m
- United Kingdom: US$2.4m
- Denmark: US$1.9m
- Poland: US$1.5m
- Singapore: US$1.2m
- Ireland: US$1.2m
- Mexico: US$1.2m
- Slovenia: US$1.1m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$984k
- Türkiye: US$863.2k
- South Africa: US$718.9k
- Bulgaria: US$447.1k
- Portugal: US$357.9k
- Hungary: US$338.4k
- Switzerland: US$303.2k
- Romania: US$283.2k
- Canada: US$262.7k
- Colombia: US$259.5k
- Austria: US$252.2k
- Estonia: US$251.7k
- Vietnam: US$244.4k
- Latvia: US$198.6k
- Norway: US$181.6k
- Argentina: US$168.1k
- Slovakia: US$159.1k
- Finland: US$134.6k
- United Arab Emirates: US$108.5k
- Lithuania: US$103.8k
- Saudi Arabia: US$95.6k
- Cyprus: US$81.2k
- Israel: US$75.7k
- Guatemala: US$60.8k
- Luxembourg: US$58.6k
- Kenya: US$57.1k
- Burkina Faso: US$47.3k
- Serbia: US$40.8k
- Australia: US$34.9k
- Niger: US$33.1k
- El Salvador: US$29.6k
- New Zealand: US$27.8k
- Belarus: US$25k
- Indonesia: US$20.5k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$182.8kUS$182.8k+US$3.6m+US$16.8m+> US$37.7m
Imports: 178
- Germany: US$75.5m
- Israel: US$53.4m
- Netherlands: US$44m
- United States: US$39.7m
- Spain: US$38.5m
- Malaysia: US$37.7m
- France: US$33.3m
- Belgium: US$30.5m
- Canada: US$30.4m
- Singapore: US$25.7m
- Brazil: US$22.9m
- Denmark: US$22.2m
- China: US$21.6m
- Mexico: US$20.5m
- Indonesia: US$20.5m
- United Kingdom: US$20.1m
- India: US$18.6m
- Poland: US$16.8m
- Türkiye: US$15.4m
- Norway: US$13.9m
- Japan: US$13.6m
- Argentina: US$12.6m
- Australia: US$11.6m
- Thailand: US$10.5m
- Ireland: US$9.7m
- Taiwan: US$9.3m
- Sweden: US$8.7m
- Vietnam: US$8.7m
- Philippines: US$8.3m
- Switzerland: US$8.2m
- Ukraine: US$7.8m
- Peru: US$7.7m
- Italy: US$7.7m
- Austria: US$7.5m
- Senegal: US$7.3m
- Pakistan: US$6.9m
- South Korea: US$6.2m
- Colombia: US$6.1m
- South Africa: US$6.1m
- United Arab Emirates: US$5m
- Czechia: US$4.8m
- Russia: US$4.3m
- Chile: US$4.1m
- Finland: US$3.6m
- Egypt: US$3.6m
- Portugal: US$3.5m
- Latvia: US$3.4m
- Serbia: US$3m
- Hungary: US$3m
- Lithuania: US$2.8m
- Saudi Arabia: US$2.7m
- Slovenia: US$2.5m
- New Zealand: US$2.1m
- Morocco: US$2m
- Romania: US$1.6m
- Greece: US$1.6m
- Costa Rica: US$1.4m
- Kazakhstan: US$1.2m
- Nigeria: US$1m
- Slovakia: US$956.4k
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea | US$200.7m | 23.9% |
| 2 | Belgium | US$153.2m | 18.3% |
| 3 | United States | US$105.5m | 12.6% |
| 4 | China | US$83.1m | 9.9% |
| 5 | Czechia | US$65.6m | 7.8% |
| 6 | Italy | US$62.3m | 7.4% |
| 7 | Germany | US$40.7m | 4.8% |
| 8 | France | US$33.9m | 4% |
| 9 |  Japan | US$12.7m | 1.5% |
| 10 |  Russia | US$10.7m | 1.3% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | US$75.5m | 9% |
| 2 |  Israel | US$53.4m | 6.4% |
| 3 |  Netherlands | US$44m | 5.2% |
| 4 | United States | US$39.7m | 4.7% |
| 5 |  Spain | US$38.5m | 4.6% |
| 6 |  Malaysia | US$37.7m | 4.5% |
| 7 | France | US$33.3m | 4% |
| 8 | Belgium | US$30.5m | 3.6% |
| 9 |  Canada | US$30.4m | 3.6% |
| 10 |  Singapore | US$25.7m | 3.1% |
The UK Global Tariff has one tariff line for subheading 2815.20; the duty is 4%.
Subheading 2815.20 is a single line in the EU Combined Nomenclature, where the duty is 5.5%.
175 countries pay no duty in the UK thanks to trade agreements and preference schemes such as DCTS Comprehensive and European Union, against a standard rate of 4%.
In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.
Imports of these goods into the UK came to £9.9m between September 2025 and August 2026 (down 46% on the year before); South Korea supplied 24%, followed by Italy.
In 2024, countries exported these goods worth US$839.1m (−19.1% year on year).
The largest exporter was South Korea (US$200.7m), followed by Belgium.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for potassium hydroxide (caustic potash)?
Potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) fall under HS subheading 2815.20, part of heading 2815, in section VI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 2815.20 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 4%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 2815.20 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 5.5%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most potassium hydroxide (caustic potash)?
South Korea, with US$200.7m in 2024 (23.9% of world exports).
Which countries can export these goods to the UK duty-free?
175 countries pay no duty under a trade agreement or preference scheme, among them partners under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union, DCTS Enhanced. The goods must meet the agreement’s rules of origin and the importer needs proof of origin; otherwise the standard rate of 4% applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Is there anti-dumping duty on these goods?
The UK charges additional duty of 35% on goods from Belarus and Russia. Lower rates apply to the named exporters listed in the measure.
Where does the UK import these goods from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were South Korea (24%), Italy (19%) and Belgium (16%), out of total imports of £9.9m.