After anti-dumping action by the UK Department for Business and Trade, Aztec Oils says knowing the true origin of your engine oil has never been more important.
Last December the Secretary of State for Business & Trade gave the green light for anti-dumping measures to be put in place to combat oils being imported from Lithuania and the United Arab Emirates.
The investigation by the Trade Remedies Authority into the allegations is due in large part to the efforts of one company: Aztec Oils.
In this article, the UK-owned and manufactured company explains why it has never been more important to know and trust the origins of the engine oil you use in your customers’ cars.
MOT
For more than thirty years, Aztec Oils has proudly manufactured lubricants in the UK. What began in Derbyshire in 1995 has grown into one of Britain’s leading independent blending operations. We supply workshops and industries nationwide with high quality and fully traceable products that are blended and tested on British soil.
Today, origin matters more than ever for the automotive sector.
Under challenge
The UK lubricant market is under more pressure and scrutiny than at any time in recent memory. Product dumping, relabelled imports and lubricants with unclear or undisclosed origin have become increasingly common. In a trade that relies on trust, the growing presence of these products creates risk for automotive professionals whose work depends on consistent and compliant lubricants.
There are ongoing concerns surrounding sanctioned materials and complex global supply chains. As a result, not all oils entering the UK are what they appear to be. Some arrive as finished lubricants or part blends from overseas, then later appear on the market as if they were produced locally. Others pass through several jurisdictions before reaching the UK which makes it difficult to verify the quality or origin of the product. For busy technicians this situation creates uncertainty at a time when clarity is essential.
Aztec Oils has always taken a different approach. We believe that the people using our products deserve complete clarity about where their oil was made, how it was made and who made it. By blending and testing every batch here in Derbyshire we maintain full control of quality, traceability and compliance. For automotive professionals this means confidence rather than questions.
We see UK manufacturing as an investment in product integrity, British capability and long term reliability. It also supports strong and stable supply chains for workshops across the country. These principles guide every decision we make.
Employee ownership
Aztec Oils is an Employee Ownership Trust with 50.01 per cent of the business owned by the people who work here. This structure protects skilled jobs in the UK and strengthens our commitment to British manufacturing.
It also means that the people who blend, test and despatch the lubricants have a direct stake in doing the job to the highest standard. Decisions are made for the long-term benefit of our customers and our staff. At a time when low cost imports and relabelled products put pressure on genuine UK manufacturers this level of accountability matters.
Manufacturing in Derbyshire gives Aztec Oils full oversight of every stage of production. Our blending, filling and laboratory operations are all based on the same site which allows us to monitor every batch from the moment raw materials arrive to the point the finished product leaves the facility.
Each blend is subjected to a thorough testing process carried out by trained laboratory technicians who work with modern analytical equipment. These checks verify that the product meets the specific requirements set by leading vehicle manufacturers and recognised industry standards. The ability to test and validate every batch in house provides a level of consistency and confidence that cannot be achieved when production is outsourced or spread across multiple locations.
We also provide technical support from UK based specialists who understand the needs of the automotive sector. Although our manufacturing remains firmly in the United Kingdom our lubricants are used in markets across the world which reflects the standard of quality that UK production can achieve and maintain.
Why does this matter to automotive businesses? Workshops need lubricants they can trust. When the market contains products with unclear origin or inconsistent quality the risk grows for both technicians and customers. UK manufactured lubricants remove that uncertainty.
By choosing a product that is blended and tested in the UK you gain clear and verifiable origin, consistent specifications, a stable and reliable supply chain, support from UK based experts and products developed for UK vehicles and conditions.
This is not simply a patriotic preference. It is a practical advantage for anyone whose reputation depends on the reliability and performance of the lubricants they use every day.
As the market continues to see more relabelled and low cost imported products, Aztec Oils stands by a commitment that has remained unchanged since 1995. We will continue to manufacture in the UK, maintain full transparency, uphold quality without compromise, protect skilled British jobs and support automotive professionals with products they can trust.
Automotive workshops need complete confidence in the lubricants they choose. With Aztec Oils you know exactly what you are putting into the vehicles you service and you know exactly who made it.
