Subheading · Chapter 34 · Heading 3402
3402.90: Organic surface-active agents: other
Other surfactant and washing preparations
Official description Other
3402.90 is the HS subheading for other surfactant and washing preparations, under heading 3402 in chapter 34.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 3402 90 00 00 Other
- 3402 90 10 00 Surface-active preparations 4%
- 3402 90 10 10 Surface-active mixture of methyltri-c8-c10-alkylammonium chlorides 4%+5
- 3402 90 10 15 Silicone surfactant consisting of a mixture of: <br>-60% or more but not more than 85% by weight of polyalkyleneoxidedimethylsiloxane copolymer (cas rn 68937-55-3),<br>-15% or more but not more than 40% by weight of poly(oxy-1.2-ethanediyl),α-hydro-ω-hydroxy-ethane-1.2-diol, ethoxylated (cas rn 25322-68-3),<br>-0.8% or more but not more than 1.5% by weight octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (cas rn 556-67-2),<br>-0.6% or more but not more than 1.0% by weight decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (cas rn 541-02-6), <br>-0.2% or more but not more than 0.5% by weight dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane(cas rn 540-97-6)<br> 4%+5
- 3402 90 10 80 Mixture, containing by weight:<br>-80% or more but not more than 90% of docusate sodium (inn) (cas rn 577-11-7), and<br>-10% or more but not more than 20% of sodium benzoate (cas rn 532-32-1)<br> 4%+5
- 3402 90 10 90 Other 4%+5
- 3402 90 90 00 Washing preparations and cleaning preparations 4%+4
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 5
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 598
- Documents
- 9014
- Duty suspensionAutonomous tariff suspension Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- In force
- until 31 December 2028
- Legal act
- 2020 No. 1435
- Documents
- 9Y12
- Tariff lines
- on 2 of 5 lines
- 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
- Duty suspensionAutonomous tariff suspension Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- In force
- until 31 December 2026
- Legal act
- 2020 No. 1435
- Documents
- 9Y12
- Tariff lines
- on 2 of 5 lines
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) | — | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 Germany | £34.6m | 20.3% | -5.7% |
 United States | £18.2m | 10.6% | +5% |
 France | £17.7m | 10.3% | +12.8% |
 Italy | £17.3m | 10.1% | -7.6% |
 Belgium | £15.4m | 9% | +21.4% |
 Poland | £11.3m | 6.6% | +25.3% |
 Ireland | £11m | 6.5% | +5.3% |
 Spain | £8.8m | 5.1% | +24.6% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU 4% Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
Türkiye 35% Statutory rate (Law 474) 4 tariff lines USA 3.7% – 4% General (MFN) 3 tariff lines · average 3.8% 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$647.2kUS$647.2k+US$20.4m+US$111.8m+> US$429.1m
Exports: 191
- Germany: US$1.2bn
- United States: US$915.1m
- China: US$818.8m
- Belgium: US$530.3m
- United Kingdom: US$448.6m
- Italy: US$429.1m
- France: US$383.7m
- Netherlands: US$315.7m
- Spain: US$313.3m
- Japan: US$219.3m
- South Africa: US$183.1m
- South Korea: US$171.9m
- Thailand: US$167.5m
- Poland: US$143m
- Mexico: US$131.6m
- Singapore: US$127.3m
- Denmark: US$122m
- Taiwan: US$118.7m
- Sweden: US$111.8m
- Malaysia: US$107.7m
- Türkiye: US$103.6m
- India: US$101.5m
- Austria: US$99.7m
- Brazil: US$82.2m
- Canada: US$78.2m
- Norway: US$57.4m
- Switzerland: US$56.4m
- Czechia: US$56.1m
- Guatemala: US$46.6m
- Slovenia: US$42.1m
- Indonesia: US$40m
- Vietnam: US$33.2m
- Australia: US$32.2m
- Greece: US$31m
- Russia: US$30.2m
- Colombia: US$28.6m
- Ireland: US$28m
- United Arab Emirates: US$27.5m
- Portugal: US$24.6m
- Israel: US$23.7m
- Costa Rica: US$22.9m
- Hungary: US$22.1m
- Egypt: US$21.9m
- Slovakia: US$21.6m
- Lithuania: US$21m
- Saudi Arabia: US$20.4m
- Bahrain: US$18.8m
- Kazakhstan: US$17.5m
- Bulgaria: US$17.2m
- Latvia: US$15.8m
- Kenya: US$15m
- El Salvador: US$14.1m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$13.3m
- Romania: US$13m
- Argentina: US$12.8m
- Finland: US$12.3m
- Philippines: US$11.8m
- Estonia: US$9.9m
- Peru: US$9.9m
- Turkmenistan: US$9.7m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$8mUS$8m+US$36.4m+US$111.1m+> US$234.8m
Imports: 223
- China: US$461.6m
- Germany: US$417.3m
- United States: US$368.1m
- France: US$325.9m
- Netherlands: US$282.5m
- Belgium: US$243.1m
- Canada: US$234.8m
- Italy: US$215.7m
- United Kingdom: US$205.5m
- Poland: US$205.4m
- Vietnam: US$186.7m
- India: US$179.3m
- Thailand: US$176.9m
- Spain: US$168.7m
- Mexico: US$161.1m
- Türkiye: US$148.4m
- Russia: US$136.1m
- Austria: US$133.5m
- Japan: US$125.6m
- Czechia: US$123.1m
- Indonesia: US$118.9m
- Malaysia: US$112.9m
- Singapore: US$111.1m
- Switzerland: US$107.9m
- Norway: US$104.6m
- Saudi Arabia: US$103.7m
- Brazil: US$101.8m
- South Korea: US$100.2m
- Portugal: US$99.4m
- United Arab Emirates: US$93.2m
- Sweden: US$89.5m
- Argentina: US$88.7m
- Romania: US$86.5m
- Ireland: US$85.6m
- Denmark: US$85.3m
- Taiwan: US$83.3m
- Bangladesh: US$79.8m
- Australia: US$77.7m
- Israel: US$70.5m
- Hungary: US$65.1m
- Mozambique: US$60.6m
- Kazakhstan: US$54.3m
- Philippines: US$52.7m
- Ukraine: US$52.5m
- Slovakia: US$51.9m
- Finland: US$48m
- Honduras: US$47.6m
- Colombia: US$46.3m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$44.7m
- Greece: US$43.2m
- Ecuador: US$41.9m
- Lithuania: US$40m
- Serbia: US$39.8m
- Chile: US$37.4m
- Egypt: US$36.6m
- South Africa: US$36.4m
- Kuwait: US$35.9m
- Croatia: US$35.6m
- Bulgaria: US$35.3m
- Botswana: US$35.1m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | US$1.2bn | 14.7% |
| 2 | United States | US$915.1m | 10.8% |
| 3 |  China | US$818.8m | 9.7% |
| 4 | Belgium | US$530.3m | 6.3% |
| 5 | United Kingdom | US$448.6m | 5.3% |
| 6 | Italy | US$429.1m | 5.1% |
| 7 | France | US$383.7m | 4.5% |
| 8 |  Netherlands | US$315.7m | 3.7% |
| 9 | Spain | US$313.3m | 3.7% |
| 10 |  Japan | US$219.3m | 2.6% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$461.6m | 5.5% |
| 2 | Germany | US$417.3m | 4.9% |
| 3 | United States | US$368.1m | 4.4% |
| 4 | France | US$325.9m | 3.9% |
| 5 | Netherlands | US$282.5m | 3.3% |
| 6 | Belgium | US$243.1m | 2.9% |
| 7 |  Canada | US$234.8m | 2.8% |
| 8 | Italy | US$215.7m | 2.6% |
| 9 | United Kingdom | US$205.5m | 2.4% |
| 10 | Poland | US$205.4m | 2.4% |
The UK Global Tariff divides subheading 3402.90 into 5 tariff lines; the duty is 4%.
In the EU Combined Nomenclature, subheading 3402.90 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is 4%.
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 other surfactant and washing preparations into the UK came to £170.7m between September 2025 and August 2026 (up 1% on the year before); Germany supplied 20%, followed by United States.
In 2024, countries exported other surfactant and washing preparations worth US$8.4bn (−2.7% year on year).
The largest exporter was Germany (US$1.2bn), followed by the United States.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for organic surface-active agents: other?
Organic surface-active agents: other fall under HS subheading 3402.90, part of heading 3402, in section VI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on organic surface-active agents: other in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 3402.90 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 organic surface-active agents: other in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 3402.90 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 4%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most organic surface-active agents: other?
Germany, with US$1.2bn in 2024 (14.7% of world exports).
Which countries can export other surfactant and washing preparations 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 other surfactant and washing preparations?
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 other surfactant and washing preparations from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were Germany (20%), United States (11%) and France (10%), out of total imports of £170.7m.