How to export chocolate from the UK to China

Choose the route for your chocolate

Chocolate and other food preparations containing cocoa fall across HS 180610, 180620, 180631, 180632 and 180690. We judge this an easy starting category, but registration and Chinese labels still matter. For ordinary imports, the manufacturer applies to GACC itself or through an agent; confirm the product category in GACC’s registration system before relying on this route.

HMRC recorded £5.3m of UK goods exports to mainland China under HS 180610, 180620, 180631, 180632, 180690 in 2025 (2024: £6.2m, -14%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £10.0m. January to July 2026: £2.1m against £4.0m in the same months of 2025 (-47.6%).

The largest listed UK export line to China under these HS codes was 18069070, preparations containing cocoa, for making beverages, at £3.1m in 2025. That matters when assessing demand: the totals cover cocoa preparations as well as chocolate, so they should not be treated as sales of boxed chocolates alone.

Price against the Chinese tariff line

The listed Chinese tariff lines have the MFN rates below. Duty and import VAT add to landed cost and shape the price your importer can offer. Standard import VAT is 13%, subject to reduced-rate or special rules, calculated on customs value plus duty plus consumption tax. Your importer’s customs broker confirms the applicable VAT treatment and whether consumption tax applies to the chocolate.

Prepare the manufacturer’s registration

GACC Decree 280 requires overseas food manufacturers, processors and storage enterprises exporting to China to register. For this chocolate route, the manufacturer submits its application itself or through an agent, without an exporting-country authority recommendation; confirm the category in GACC’s registration system. Plan for months, not weeks: the Chinese authority decides registration.

The food safety MoU effective on 29 January 2026 established the cooperation mechanism required for simplified batch registration of UK food manufacturers; confirm with GACC whether and how your manufacturer can use batch registration. Registration is valid for five years. Before preparing chocolate packaging, obtain the manufacturer’s China registration number or the number approved by its home authority: one of these must appear on the pack.

Check the chocolate standard and label artwork

Check the product against GB 9678.2-2014, the food safety standard for chocolate, cocoa-butter-substitute chocolate and their products. For ordinary imports, prepackaged chocolate needs a compliant Chinese label naming the place of origin and the domestic agent’s name, address and contact details, plus Chinese instructions where required. Resolve the artwork with your importer before printing.

GB 7718-2025 takes effect on 16 March 2027. Have the chocolate label checked against both the rules currently applying and the new standard, particularly when preparing packaging intended for use across that transition.

Arrange UK dispatch and assess retail e-commerce

For exports from England, Scotland or Wales, find the correct UK commodity code and obtain a GB EORI number. Arrange the export declaration with the chocolate’s value, weight, packaging, destination and transport details, and invoice and packing list references. The carrier needs the invoice and any required export licences or certificates; settle the shipment requirements with the importer before dispatch.

All five Chinese tariff lines above appear on the cross-border e-commerce retail import list. Under bonded 1210 or direct 9610 retail imports, listed goods receive personal-use supervision, with first-import licence, registration and filing requirements disapplied, subject to emergency exceptions. Consumers must accept a risk notice and cannot resell the goods. The overseas business must appoint a mainland-registered company for customs registration, truthful declarations and shared civil liability.

Find and check a Chinese chocolate importer

Assess whether the buyer wants ordinary imports for distribution or personal-use retail e-commerce, then agree the chocolate range and packaging work for that route. Our own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands. If an importer has already approached your brand, 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. Regulated roles, including the importer of record and any required cross-border e-commerce agent, stay with licensed partners in China; your brand’s own filings stay yours. We check with licensed partners. Use our export-to-China service to arrange this work.