Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda)
氢氧化钠 / 烧碱
Sodium hydroxide is the workhorse of the chlor-alkali chain and the second-largest tonnage chemical Sourzi sources out of China. Solid 99% caustic ships in 25 kg bags or 1 t big bags, 50% liquid ships in IBCs or PE-lined T11 ISO tanks, and the container weight-out beats the cube-out almost every time. The Chinese supply base is concentrated in Shandong, Jiangsu, and Inner Mongolia, with Tianjin Nangang and the Bohua complex on the north-coast lane and the membrane-cell chlor-alkali clusters along the Yangtze. US imports carry Section 301 at 25 percent, which moves landed cost more than the FOB China price for most buyers. Quality risk concentrates on production route: membrane-cell caustic is the modern standard with low salt and low metals, mercury-cell caustic from legacy plants is deprecated and not accepted by US food or pharma buyers. This cluster aggregates the Sourzi reference moat around CAS 1310-73-2, with the regulatory profile across REACH, TSCA, IECSC, AICIS, and K-REACH, the substance-level CAS page, and the cornerstone hub with grade selection and freight maths.
Glossary
Terms you will meet on this lane
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Class 8, IMDG Class 8
The IMDG hazard subclass for corrosive substances, substances that cause irreversible damage to skin, severely corrode metals, or both. Covers acids (sulphuric, hydrochloric, nitric, phosphoric), bases (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide), and certain oxidising acids and salts. The single highest-volume DG class in Chinese chemical exports.
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PG I / II / III, Packing Group
Three-tier classification under the IMDG Code (and other transport regulations) indicating the relative severity of hazard within a dangerous-goods class. PG I is the most hazardous (great danger), PG II is medium danger, PG III is minor danger. Determines the required packaging strength and the regulatory burden of the shipment.
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UN Number, UN Number
A four-digit identifier assigned by the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods to identify a hazardous substance for international transport. Required on the DG Declaration, the package marking, the placards on the container, and Section 14 of the MSDS.
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DG Declaration, Dangerous Goods Declaration
A signed shipper's document required for every dangerous-goods sea shipment, certifying that the cargo has been properly classified, packaged, marked, labelled, and is in the proper condition for transport. Issued under the IMDG Code on the IMO Multimodal Dangerous Goods Form.
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MSA China / 海事局, Maritime Safety Administration of China
The Chinese government authority responsible for maritime safety, ship registration, port-state control, and the regulation of dangerous goods carried by sea on Chinese-flagged vessels and in Chinese ports. Reports to the Ministry of Transport. MSA China issues the Dangerous Goods Container Packing Certificate (危险品集装箱适装证明) that every DG export shipment from China must carry, alongside other operational permits for chemical cargo movement.
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SDS, Safety Data Sheet
The 16-section document that communicates the hazards, handling, storage, and emergency response information for a chemical product. Required at destination customs for any classified hazardous chemical and at the buyer's site for worker safety. SDS is the GHS-aligned successor to the older MSDS format.
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COA, Certificate of Analysis
A document issued by the manufacturer (or by an accredited third-party lab) certifying that a specific batch of a chemical or material meets the agreed specification. Lists tested parameters, results, the test methods used, and a batch number that ties back to production.
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FOB, Free On Board
Incoterm under which the seller delivers the goods on board the vessel at the named port of shipment. Risk and cost transfer to the buyer once the cargo crosses the ship's rail. The buyer arranges and pays for sea freight, marine insurance, and all destination-side costs.
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CIF, Cost, Insurance, and Freight
Incoterm under which the seller is responsible for the cost of the goods, marine insurance, and sea freight to the named destination port. Risk transfers from seller to buyer when the goods are loaded on board at the origin port, but cost responsibility extends to destination port arrival.
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Section 301, Section 301 Tariffs
Additional tariffs imposed by the United States on Chinese-origin goods under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The current List 1, 2, 3, and 4A tariffs add 7.5 to 25 percent on top of the standard MFN duty rate, applied at HS-code level.
Regulatory matrix
Cross-jurisdiction compliance
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Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) under REACH
European Union listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
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Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) under TSCA
United States of America listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
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Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) under IECSC
People's Republic of China listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
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Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) under AICIS
Australia listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
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Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) under K-REACH
Republic of Korea listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Cornerstone hub
Buying chain end to end
Where it is made
Chinese industrial parks on this product line
Sourzi operator note
Volume buyers should be quoting FOB Qingdao or FOB Tianjin, not CIF. The membrane-cell origin claim deserves a line on the COA and a signature on the inspection report, not a paragraph in the brochure.
Curated by Sean. Primary-source verified per the regulatory drafting rules in Sourzi CLAUDE.md.
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