Subheading · Chapter 29 · Heading 2933
2933.71: Heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom(s) only: lactams, 6-Hexanelactam (epsilon-caprolactam)
Caprolactam
Official description 6-Hexanelactam (epsilon-caprolactam)
2933.71 is the HS subheading for caprolactam, under heading 2933 in chapter 29.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 2933 71 00 00 6-hexanelactam (epsilon-caprolactam) 6%
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 3
- 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)
- Duty suspensionAirworthiness tariff suspension Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- S.I. 2018/1249
- Documents
- C119 Authorised Release Certificate — EASA Form 1 (Appendix I to Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012), or equivalent certificate
Import requirements 1
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Russia, Ukraine
- Legal act
- 2023 No. 440, S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9011
- 9022
- 9038
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | 6% |
| 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–Ceuta & Melilla agreement | Ceuta & Melilla | 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–Kosovo agreement | Kosovo | Free |
| UK–South Africa agreement | South Africa | Free |
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 Belgium | £5m | 83.5% | +8.8% |
 Germany | £539k | 9% | -18.7% |
 Netherlands | £265k | 4.4% | -36.7% |
 China | £182k | 3% | — |
 Spain | £3k | 0% | — |
Same subheading in other tariffs
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$156kUS$156k+US$23m+US$106m+> US$365m
Exports: 42
- Belgium: US$475m
- Russia: US$365m
- China: US$227m
- Germany: US$115m
- Netherlands: US$106m
- Poland: US$61m
- United States: US$54m
- Thailand: US$47m
- Japan: US$42m
- Czechia: US$28m
- Spain: US$23m
- Slovenia: US$10m
- Slovakia: US$2m
- Malaysia: US$939k
- Taiwan: US$871k
- India: US$375k
- Laos: US$310k
- Türkiye: US$241k
- Portugal: US$235k
- Belarus: US$233k
- South Korea: US$156k
- France: US$139k
- Indonesia: US$100k
- United Kingdom: US$98k
- Canada: US$94k
- Croatia: US$77k
- Switzerland: US$60k
- Finland: US$60k
- Singapore: US$20k
- Ireland: US$16k
- Denmark: US$15k
- Mexico: US$8k
- Sweden: US$1k
- Italy: US$600
- Austria: US$400
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$200
- Hungary: US$200
- Australia: US$100
- Kazakhstan: US$100
- Luxembourg: US$100
- Romania: US$100
- Ukraine: US$0
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$198kUS$198k+US$11m+US$48m+> US$227m
Imports: 74
- Germany: US$485m
- Taiwan: US$239m
- China: US$227m
- Italy: US$157m
- India: US$88m
- Slovenia: US$50m
- Switzerland: US$48m
- Vietnam: US$37m
- Canada: US$32m
- South Korea: US$27m
- Türkiye: US$25m
- Indonesia: US$25m
- Colombia: US$24m
- Poland: US$22m
- Belgium: US$19m
- United States: US$12m
- Netherlands: US$11m
- United Kingdom: US$8m
- Czechia: US$5m
- Spain: US$4m
- Brazil: US$2m
- France: US$2m
- Mexico: US$2m
- South Africa: US$1m
- Portugal: US$921k
- Israel: US$817k
- Thailand: US$747k
- Japan: US$679k
- Australia: US$532k
- Malaysia: US$372k
- Ireland: US$293k
- Austria: US$289k
- Chile: US$203k
- Hungary: US$198k
- Iran: US$187k
- Norway: US$177k
- Bangladesh: US$162k
- Argentina: US$161k
- Ukraine: US$131k
- Finland: US$99k
- New Zealand: US$93k
- United Arab Emirates: US$69k
- Kenya: US$69k
- Pakistan: US$66k
- Sri Lanka: US$59k
- Singapore: US$58k
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$50k
- Romania: US$50k
- Greece: US$29k
- Egypt: US$24k
- Brunei: US$20k
- Tanzania: US$19k
- Uzbekistan: US$18k
- Uganda: US$11k
- Myanmar (Burma): US$3k
- Malawi: US$2k
- Slovakia: US$1k
- Iceland: US$800
- Saudi Arabia: US$800
- Uruguay: US$800
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | US$475m | 30.5% |
| 2 |  Russia | US$365m | 23.4% |
| 3 | China | US$227m | 14.6% |
| 4 | Germany | US$115m | 7.4% |
| 5 | Netherlands | US$106m | 6.8% |
| 6 |  Poland | US$61m | 3.9% |
| 7 |  United States | US$54m | 3.4% |
| 8 |  Thailand | US$47m | 3% |
| 9 |  Japan | US$42m | 2.7% |
| 10 |  Czechia | US$28m | 1.8% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | US$485m | 31.1% |
| 2 |  Taiwan | US$239m | 15.3% |
| 3 | China | US$227m | 14.6% |
| 4 |  Italy | US$157m | 10.1% |
| 5 |  India | US$88m | 5.7% |
| 6 |  Slovenia | US$50m | 3.2% |
| 7 |  Switzerland | US$48m | 3.1% |
| 8 |  Vietnam | US$37m | 2.4% |
| 9 |  Canada | US$32m | 2% |
| 10 |  South Korea | US$27m | 1.7% |
Recent rule changes mentioning this code
Acts whose text cites this code or its heading. Check the act itself: a code can be cited for reasons other than a change of its duty.
- Sanctions · Applies from:
The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
S.I. 2026/543 · Source: legislation.gov.uk
-
Anti-dumping · Applies from: CELEX 32026R0734 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
Subheading 2933.71 is a single line in the UK Global Tariff, where the duty is 6%.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 2933.71; the duty is 6.5%.
Goods from 174 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard 6%; 174 of them pay no duty at all, for example under DCTS Comprehensive or European Union.
In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the UK imported caprolactam worth £6m (up 6% on the year before), at an average of £1.82 per kg; Belgium supplied 84%, followed by Germany.
World trade in caprolactam reached US$2bn in 2024, up 6.3% on 2023.
Belgium was the largest exporter with 30.5% of the total, ahead of Russia.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom(s) only: lactams, 6-Hexanelactam (epsilon-caprolactam)?
Heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom(s) only: lactams, 6-Hexanelactam (epsilon-caprolactam) fall under HS subheading 2933.71, part of heading 2933, in section VI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 2933.71 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 6%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 2933.71 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 6.5%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom?
Belgium, with US$475m in 2024 (30.5% of world exports).
Which countries can export caprolactam to the UK duty-free?
174 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 6% applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Is there anti-dumping duty on caprolactam?
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 caprolactam from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were Belgium (84%), Germany (9%) and Netherlands (4%), out of total imports of £6m.