UK Global Tariff · commodity code · HS 3402.90
3402 90 10 90: Other surfactant and washing preparations: Organic surface-active agents: other, surface-active preparations, other
Other surfactant and washing preparations
✓ Can be used in a customs declaration Data: UK Global Tariff · checked on 24 October 2026
- 3402 Organic surface-active agents (other than soap); surface-active preparations, washing preparations (including auxiliary washing preparations) and cleaning preparations, whether or not containing soap, other than those of heading 3401
- 3402 90 00 00 Other
- 3402 90 10 00 Surface-active preparations
- 3402 90 10 90 Other
What you pay
Importing into UK
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 4
- 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
- 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) | — | 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–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 |
Footnotes
TN701 According to the Council Regulation (EU) No 692/2014 (OJ L183, p. 9), as retained in UK La…
The prohibition shall not apply in respect of:
(a) the execution until 26 September 2014, of trade contracts concluded before 25 June 2014, or of ancillary contracts necessary for the execution of such contracts, provided that the natural or legal persons, entity or body seeking to perform the contract have notified, at least 10 working days in advance, the activity or transaction to the competent authority of the Member State in which they are established.
(b) goods originating in Crimea or Sevastopol which have been made available to the Ukrainian authorities for examination, for which compliance with the conditions conferring entitlement to preferential origin has been verified and for which a certificate of origin has been issued in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 and Regulation (EU) No 374/2014, as retained in UK Law, or in accordance with the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement
UK: imports by month · HS 3402.90
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
3402.90 Organic surface-active agents: other
EU 4% Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
Türkiye 4% Third-country duty 4 tariff lines USA 3.7% – 4% General (MFN) 3 tariff lines · average 3.8% 
Canada Free – 6.5% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines · average 2.2% 
Mexico Free – 3% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines · average 1% 
Brazil Free – 16.2% Third-country duty 9 tariff lines · average 10% 
Argentina Free – 18% Third-country duty 17 tariff lines · average 14.2% 
Peru 6% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
New Zealand Free – 5% Third-country duty 5 tariff lines · average 4% 
Japan Free Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
Taiwan 4% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
GCC 5% Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
Switzerland Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Norway Free Third-country duty 6 tariff lines 
North Macedonia Free – 6.5% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines · average 4.3% 
Nigeria 20% Third-country duty 1 tariff line UK lines: 3402.90
- 3402 90 10 10Surface-active mixture of methyltri-c8-c10-alkylammonium chlorides
- 3402 90 10 15Silicone surfactant consisting of a mixture of: -60% or more but not more than 85% by weight of polyalkyleneoxidedimethylsiloxane copolymer (cas rn 68937-55-3), -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), -0.8% or more but not more than 1.5% by weight octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (cas rn 556-67-2), -0.6% or more but not more than 1.0% by weight decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (cas rn 541-02-6), -0.2% or more but not more than 0.5% by weight dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane(cas rn 540-97-6)
- 3402 90 10 80Mixture, containing by weight: -80% or more but not more than 90% of docusate sodium (inn) (cas rn 577-11-7), and -10% or more but not more than 20% of sodium benzoate (cas rn 532-32-1)
- 3402 90 10 90Organic surface-active agents: other, surface-active preparations, other
- 3402 90 90 00Washing preparations and cleaning preparations
Binding rulings for similar goods
Decisions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CROSS) and HMRC (Advance Tariff Rulings) on goods classified here. A ruling binds only its holder, but shows how the authorities classify similar goods. The descriptions are the authorities’ own, in English.
- 600011464 HMRC
Product is a liquid concentrate, separation agent for pressing surfaces/plates in machinery. Also used to eliminate the formation of deposits of dispersion and UF adhesives on the pressing surfaces of commonly used presses. Comes as a yellow viscous liquid. Product is put up in 1 litre bottles of…
Legal notes
Notes
1. This chapter does not cover:
(a) edible mixtures or preparations of animal, vegetable or microbial fats or oils of a kind used as mould release preparations (heading 1517);
(b) separate chemically defined compounds; or
(c) shampoos, dentifrices, shaving creams and foams, or bath preparations, containing soap or other organic surface-active agents (heading 3305, 3306 or 3307).
2. For the purposes of heading 3401, the expression ‘soap’ applies only to soap soluble in water. Soap and the other products of heading 3401 may contain added substances (for example, disinfectants, abrasive powders, fillers or medicaments). Products containing abrasive powders remain classified in heading 3401 only if in the form of bars, cakes or moulded pieces or shapes. In other forms, they are to be classified in heading 3405 as ‘scouring powders and similar preparations’.
3. For the purposes of heading 3402, ‘organic surface-active agents’ are products which, when mixed with water at a concentration of 0,5 % at 20 °C and left to stand for one hour at the same temperature:
(a) give a transparent or translucent liquid or stable emulsion without separation of insoluble matter; and
(b) reduce the surface tension of water to 4,5 × 10–2 N/m (45 dyn/cm) or less.
4. In heading 3403, the expression ‘petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals’ applies to the products defined in note 2 to Chapter 27.
5. In heading 3404, subject to the exclusions provided below, the expression ‘artificial waxes and prepared waxes’ applies only to:
(a) chemically produced organic products of a waxy character, whether or not water-soluble;
(b) products obtained by mixing different waxes;
(c) products of a waxy character with a basis of one or more waxes and containing fats, resins, mineral substances or other materials.
The heading does not apply to:
(a) products of heading 1516, 3402 or 3823, even if having a waxy character;
(b) unmixed animal waxes or unmixed vegetable waxes, whether or not refined or coloured, of heading 1521;
(c) mineral waxes or similar products of heading 2712, whether or not intermixed or merely coloured; or
(d) waxes mixed with, dispersed in or dissolved in a liquid medium (headings 3405, 3809, etc.).
In the UK Global Tariff, 3402 90 10 90 is one of 5 lines under subheading 3402.90, organic surface-active agents: other.
The third-country duty is 4%.
Goods from 174 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard 4%; 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 other surfactant and washing preparations (HS 3402.90) worth £170.7m (up 1% on the year before), at an average of £2.13 per kg; Germany supplied 20%, followed by United States.
For the same subheading, the EU duty is 4%, the Türkiye duty is 4%, the US duty is 3.7%–4%, the Canada duty is 0%–6.5%, the Mexico duty is 0%–3%, the Brazil duty is 0%–16.2%, the Argentina duty is 0%–18%, the Peru duty is 6%, the New Zealand duty is 0%–5%, the Japan duty is free, the Taiwan duty is 4%, the GCC duty is 5%, the Switzerland duty is free, the Norway duty is free, the North Macedonia duty is 0%–6.5% and the Nigeria duty is 20%.
The UK imported goods of subheading 3402.90 worth US$205m in 2024; the largest supplier was Germany.
Questions and answers
What is the UK import duty for commodity code 3402 90 10 90?
The third-country duty in the UK Global Tariff is 4%. Preferential rates for goods from agreement countries, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which countries get a lower rate on 3402 90 10 90?
174 countries have a preferential rate on this line, 174 of them at 0%, under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union and DCTS Enhanced and other arrangements. The rate applies only to goods that meet the rules of origin of the agreement, with proof of origin. Choose the country of origin on this page to see its rate.
Do anti-dumping or other extra duties apply to 3402 90 10 90?
Additional duty of 35% on goods from Belarus and Russia. These are charged on top of the customs duty.
Where does the UK import these goods from?
For subheading 3402.90 as a whole, the largest supplier in 2024 was Germany (US$44m), followed by Italy.