Subheading · Chapter 29 · Heading 2939

2939.49

2939.49: Alkaloids of ephedra and their derivatives; salts thereof: other

Official description Other

Subheading 2939.49 belongs to heading 2939 (alkaloids, natural or reproduced by synthesis, and their salts, ethers, esters…) in chapter 29.

What you pay

Importing into UK

Customs duty Free standard rate depends on the country of origin
Additional duties and charges 1 additional measure Import requirements: 1
VAT 20.00 % import VAT
Duty calculatorCalculate duty and taxes →

Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff

UK lines →
  1. 2939 49 00 00 Other Free

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 1

  • 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 schemeCountriesRate
standard rate (no agreement)—Free
DCTS Comprehensive
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin and 38 more

Afghanistan, 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")
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia and 23 more

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden

Free
CARIFORUM
Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize and 10 more

Antigua & 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 more

Anguilla, 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–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
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–Kosovo agreement Kosovo Free
UK–South Africa agreement South Africa Free

UK: imports by month

last 12 months£628k+248.9% · previous 12 months
Average import price£3,762.13 per kg
Feb 2024: £46kMar 2024: £1kApr 2024: £5kMay 2024: £9kJun 2024: £6kSept 2024: £1kOct 2024: £33kNov 2024: £1kJan 2025: £47kMar 2025: £48kMay 2025: £50kSept 2025: £45kOct 2025: £44kNov 2025: £1kDec 2025: £1kFeb 2026: £921May 2026: £89kJul 2026: £448k 2025
Data up to August 2026 (provisional) · Monthly data: Eurostat Comext (CC BY 4.0), HMRC (OGL v3.0)

Main suppliers, last 12 months

CountryValueShareChange
India £625k 99.5% +259.3%
China £2k 0.3% —
Canada £1k 0.2% -63.6%
United Kingdom £0 0% -100%

Same subheading in other tariffs

World trade in 2024

2939.49 · US$22m

Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$6kUS$6k+US$189k+US$606k+> US$14m

Exports: 28
  1. Ireland: US$14m
  2. India: US$6m
  3. Germany: US$606k
  4. Australia: US$576k
  5. Italy: US$302k
  6. Taiwan: US$265k
  7. China: US$189k
  8. Canada: US$89k
  9. New Zealand: US$56k
  10. United Kingdom: US$42k
  11. Spain: US$27k
  12. United States: US$16k
  13. Netherlands: US$9k
  14. Portugal: US$6k
  15. Latvia: US$3k
  16. Poland: US$3k
  17. South Africa: US$3k
  18. Switzerland: US$2k
  19. Czechia: US$2k
  20. France: US$2k
  21. Japan: US$800
  22. Brazil: US$500
  23. Sweden: US$400
  24. Austria: US$300
  25. Kazakhstan: US$300
  26. Singapore: US$200
  27. Bulgaria: US$100
  28. Norway: US$0

Top exporters

RankCountryValueShare
1 Ireland US$14m 65.1%
2 India US$6m 25%
3 Germany US$606k 2.7%
4 Australia US$576k 2.6%
5 Italy US$302k 1.4%
6 Taiwan US$265k 1.2%
7 China US$189k 0.9%
8 Canada US$89k 0.4%
9 New Zealand US$56k 0.3%
10 United Kingdom US$42k 0.2%

Top importers

RankCountryValueShare
1 Netherlands US$14m 65.2%
2 Pakistan US$2m 10.3%
3 India US$849k 3.8%
4 Japan US$609k 2.8%
5 South Korea US$572k 2.6%
6 Taiwan US$571k 2.6%
7 Saudi Arabia US$372k 1.7%
8 Poland US$278k 1.3%
9 United States US$261k 1.2%
10 Egypt US$212k 1%

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.

  1. US Tariff change

    Guidance and Procedures for Implementing Tariff Adjustments for Specialty Pharmaceuticals and Associated Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Technical Corrections to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States for Duties Imposed Under Proclamation 11020

    FR Doc. 2026-19498 · 91 FR 60360 · Source: federalregister.gov

  2. US Import and export controls

    Notice of Action: Brazil's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Digital Trade and Electronic Payment Services; Unfair, Preferential Tariffs; Anti-Corruption Enforcement; Intellectual Property Protection; Ethanol Market Access; and Illegal Deforestation

    FR Doc. 2026-14542 · 91 FR 45516 · Source: federalregister.gov

  3. EU Tariff change · Applies from:

    Regulation (EU) 2026/1395 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2026 on applying a generalised scheme of tariff preferences and repealing Regulation (EU) No 978/2012

    CELEX 32026R1395 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu

  4. US Tariff change

    Notice of Determination and Request for Comments Concerning Action Pursuant to Section 301: Brazil's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Digital Trade and Electronic Payment Services; Unfair, Preferential Tariffs; Anti-Corruption Enforcement; Intellectual Property Protection; Ethanol Market Access; and Illegal Deforestation

    FR Doc. 2026-11158 · 91 FR 33854 · Source: federalregister.gov

Rule changes →

Code history

Since 2022; before, these goods were classified under 2939.71, 2939.79.

The UK Global Tariff has one tariff line for subheading 2939.49; the duty is duty-free.

Subheading 2939.49 is a single line in the EU Combined Nomenclature, where the duty is duty-free.

146 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 £628.3k between September 2025 and August 2026 (up 249% on the year before); India supplied 100%, followed by China.

In 2024, countries exported these goods worth US$22m (+71.8% year on year).

The largest exporter was Ireland (US$14m), followed by India.

Questions and answers

What is the HS code for alkaloids of ephedra and their derivatives; salts thereof: other?

Alkaloids of ephedra and their derivatives; salts thereof: other fall under HS subheading 2939.49, part of heading 2939, in section VI of the Harmonized System.

What is the import duty on alkaloids of ephedra and their derivatives in the UK?

Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 2939.49 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 alkaloids of ephedra and their derivatives in the EU?

Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 2939.49 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 alkaloids of ephedra and their derivatives?

Ireland, with US$14m in 2024 (65.1% of world exports).

Which countries can export these goods to the UK duty-free?

146 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 (100%), China (0%) and Canada (0%), out of total imports of £628.3k.

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