How to export cakes from the UK to China

Register the bakery before supplying China

Cakes, pastries and bread take the manufacturer application route under GACC Decree 280: the manufacturer applies itself or through an agent, without an exporting-country authority recommendation. Confirm the product in GACC's registration system. Treat this as a start category, with registration still required. Allow months, not weeks for approvals; the Chinese authority decides. The overseas exporter or agent and the Chinese food importer also have separate filing duties.

HMRC recorded £1.8m of UK goods exports to mainland China under HS 190510, 190520, 190540, 190590 in 2025 (2024: £473k, +279.2%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £8.5m. January to July 2026: £501k against £677k in the same months of 2025 (-26%).

The largest UK export line was 19059070, covering fruit tarts, currant bread, panettone, meringues and Christmas stollen, at £949k; this is an HS-line total. The UK-China food safety MoU effective from 29 January 2026 opened the cooperation mechanism for simplified batch registration. Confirm how your bakery can use that route before choosing it.

Classify the baked goods and price the border costs

Distinguish crispbread under HS 190510, gingerbread under HS 190520, rusks and similar toasted products under HS 190540, and other bakers' wares under HS 190590. The corresponding Chinese tariff lines all carry a 10% MFN rate. Agree the precise classification with the importer before quoting. For cereals rather than bakery products, see exporting breakfast cereals to China.

The VAT Law sets a standard import VAT rate of 13%, subject to its 9% list and other special rules. Import VAT uses the customs value plus customs duty plus consumption tax as its base. The importer's customs broker confirms the applicable VAT treatment and whether consumption tax applies to these goods. These border costs shape the landed price and the price the importer can offer you.

Prepare Chinese packaging and check the bakery standard

For ordinary imports, prepackaged cakes need compliant Chinese labels naming the origin and the domestic agent's name, address and contact details. Put the manufacturer's China registration number or home-authority-approved number on the packaging. Check the goods against GB 7099-2015 for cakes and bread. Check artwork against current labelling rules and GB 7718-2025, which takes effect on 16 March 2027, before committing to a packaging run.

Give the declarant a consistent UK export file

For exports from England, Scotland or Wales, the declarant needs an EORI number, the correct commodity code, value, weight, packaging, destination, transport details, and invoice and packing-list references for the online export declaration. Match the bakery's product description across those records and the Chinese artwork. The carrier needs the invoice and any required export licences or certificates; have the importer's customs broker confirm the shipment-specific document requirements.

Use cross-border retail only for matching listed goods

The cross-border retail list partly covers this range: 19051000 for rye crispbread, 19054000 for rusks and similar toasted bread, and 19059000 for other bakers' wares. Confirm the exact product against the list. Listed goods using bonded 1210 or direct 9610 are supervised as personal-use articles without first-import licence, registration or filing requirements, except where epidemic-area suspensions or emergency risk measures apply.

This route serves personal purchases and does not permit resale. Consumers must accept a risk notice covering possible differences from Chinese standards and possible absence of a Chinese label, with a Chinese electronic label available online. The overseas business retains primary quality and safety responsibility and must appoint a mainland-registered company for customs registration, truthful declaration and shared civil liability.

Find an importer and check who will do the work

Our own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands. If an importer has already approached your bakery, our staff in China check that company before stock is sent or anything is signed.

We prepare registration and label work with licensed partners in China. The importer of record and any required cross-border e-commerce agent remain licensed partners in China; the brand's own filings remain the brand's.

Before agreeing supply, establish who will handle import declaration, checking the manufacturer's registration number, Chinese label review and the tariff classification. Review the importer's proposed landed-cost calculation alongside your export price. Use our export-to-China service to arrange importer checks and registration and label preparation.