Subheading · Chapter 29 · Heading 2939
2939.41: Ephedrine and its salts
Subheading 2939.41 belongs to heading 2939 (alkaloids, natural or reproduced by synthesis, and their salts, ethers, esters…) in chapter 29.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 2939 41 00 00 Ephedrine and its salts Free+2
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 1
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 833
- Documents
- 9018
Import requirements 3
- Import control
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- 2004 No. 273
- Documents
- 9112
- 911Y
- Import control
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- 2004 No. 273
- Documents
- 9112
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | Free |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| SADC EPA | Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia | Free |
| CPTPP | Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico | Free |
| Eastern and Southern Africa States | Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe | 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–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 |
| 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–Liechtenstein agreement | Liechtenstein | Free |
| UK–Morocco agreement | Morocco | Free |
| UK–Moldova agreement | Moldova | Free |
| UK–North Macedonia agreement | North Macedonia | 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–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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 India | £11k | 65% | -41% |
 Germany | £6k | 35% | -50% |
 France | £0 | 0% | -100% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Türkiye 15% Statutory rate (Law 474) 3 tariff lines 
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$63.2kUS$63.2k+US$113.2k+US$757.4k+> US$2m
Exports: 20
- India: US$2m
- Germany: US$757.4k
- Denmark: US$130.9k
- France: US$130.9k
- China: US$113.2k
- United States: US$97.1k
- Australia: US$93.3k
- United Kingdom: US$70.6k
- Switzerland: US$63.2k
- Czechia: US$60.1k
- Singapore: US$45.5k
- Netherlands: US$28.6k
- Sweden: US$23.6k
- Canada: US$13.9k
- Spain: US$9.3k
- Poland: US$8.7k
- Slovenia: US$7.3k
- Norway: US$200
- Bulgaria: US$0
- Italy: US$0
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$5.5kUS$5.5k+US$39.2k+US$125.4k+> US$300.1k
Imports: 95
- Egypt: US$368k
- France: US$363.4k
- South Korea: US$300.1k
- United States: US$238.5k
- Nigeria: US$236.5k
- Ghana: US$204k
- New Zealand: US$174.8k
- Uganda: US$146.6k
- Denmark: US$125.4k
- United Kingdom: US$123.2k
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$115.5k
- Taiwan: US$104.4k
- Canada: US$101.4k
- Germany: US$82.7k
- Switzerland: US$81k
- Austria: US$78k
- Chile: US$77k
- South Africa: US$66.7k
- Singapore: US$59.8k
- Türkiye: US$58.1k
- Indonesia: US$53.3k
- Kenya: US$52k
- Bulgaria: US$39.2k
- Romania: US$37.2k
- Italy: US$33k
- Barbados: US$26.5k
- Poland: US$25.7k
- Mexico: US$24.7k
- Guatemala: US$22.1k
- India: US$19.5k
- Slovakia: US$19.4k
- Hungary: US$18.7k
- Brazil: US$15.3k
- Portugal: US$14.6k
- Iraq: US$11.9k
- El Salvador: US$11.4k
- Croatia: US$11k
- Netherlands: US$9.6k
- Serbia: US$8.3k
- Czechia: US$7.6k
- Belgium: US$7.5k
- Israel: US$6.7k
- Guyana: US$6.5k
- Malaysia: US$6.1k
- Congo - Kinshasa: US$5.5k
- Congo - Brazzaville: US$5.4k
- Bolivia: US$5k
- Greece: US$4.8k
- Nicaragua: US$4.5k
- Uruguay: US$4.2k
- Kiribati: US$3.8k
- Spain: US$3.7k
- Thailand: US$3.7k
- Australia: US$3.4k
- Brunei: US$3.3k
- Bangladesh: US$3.1k
- Tanzania: US$3.1k
- Micronesia: US$2.3k
- Lebanon: US$2.2k
- Finland: US$1.9k
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | US$2m | 54.9% |
| 2 | Germany | US$757.4k | 20.6% |
| 3 |  Denmark | US$130.9k | 3.6% |
| 4 | France | US$130.9k | 3.6% |
| 5 |  China | US$113.2k | 3.1% |
| 6 | United States | US$97.1k | 2.6% |
| 7 |  Australia | US$93.3k | 2.5% |
| 8 | United Kingdom | US$70.6k | 1.9% |
| 9 |  Switzerland | US$63.2k | 1.7% |
| 10 |  Czechia | US$60.1k | 1.6% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Egypt | US$368k | 10% |
| 2 | France | US$363.4k | 9.9% |
| 3 |  South Korea | US$300.1k | 8.2% |
| 4 | United States | US$238.5k | 6.5% |
| 5 |  Nigeria | US$236.5k | 6.4% |
| 6 |  Ghana | US$204k | 5.6% |
| 7 |  New Zealand | US$174.8k | 4.8% |
| 8 |  Uganda | US$146.6k | 4% |
| 9 | Denmark | US$125.4k | 3.4% |
| 10 | United Kingdom | US$123.2k | 3.4% |
The UK Global Tariff has one tariff line for subheading 2939.41; the duty is duty-free.
Subheading 2939.41 is a single line in the EU Combined Nomenclature, where the duty is duty-free.
147 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 Free.
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 £17.1k between September 2025 and August 2026 (down 46% on the year before); India supplied 65%, followed by Germany.
In 2024, countries exported these goods worth US$3.7m (−16.8% year on year).
The largest exporter was India (US$2m), followed by Germany.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for ephedrine and its salts?
Ephedrine and its salts fall under HS subheading 2939.41, part of heading 2939, in section VI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on ephedrine and its salts in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 2939.41 from countries without a preferential agreement are free of duty. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on ephedrine and its salts in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 2939.41 from countries without a preferential agreement are free of duty. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most ephedrine and its salts?
India, with US$2m in 2024 (54.9% of world exports).
Which countries can export these goods to the UK duty-free?
147 countries pay no duty under a trade agreement or preference scheme, among them partners under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union, CARIFORUM. The goods must meet the agreement’s rules of origin and the importer needs proof of origin; otherwise the standard rate of Free 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 India (65%), Germany (35%) and France (0%), out of total imports of £17.1k.