How to export gin from the UK to China

Start with the manufacturer registration route

Gin and Geneva fall under HS6 220850. We judge gin an easy starting category, but ordinary imports still require manufacturer registration with GACC. The manufacturer applies itself or through an agent; confirm the product route in GACC’s registration system. The overseas exporter or agent and the Chinese food importer also need their respective filings. Allow months, not weeks, for approval; the Chinese authority decides.

HMRC recorded £7.4m of UK goods exports to mainland China under HS 220850 in 2025 (2024: £5.4m, +37.4%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £586k. January to July 2026: £4.3m against £4.1m in the same months of 2025 (+6.2%).

The largest UK export line to China under HS 220850 was 22085011, gin in containers holding <= 2 l, at £7.3m in 2025. Share your bottle size and manufacturer details with the importer before settling the shipment specification.

Build border taxes into your selling price

Chinese tariff line 22085000 has a 10% MFN rate. The standard import VAT rate is 13%; its base includes customs value, customs duty and any consumption tax. The importer’s customs broker or adviser confirms whether consumption tax applies to gin. These border charges add to landed cost and shape the price your importer can offer.

Agree the Chinese label before printing

For ordinary imports, prepackaged gin needs a compliant Chinese label naming its origin and the domestic agent’s name, address and contact details. The manufacturer’s China registration number, or its home-authority-approved number, must appear on the packaging. GB 2757-2012 covers distilled spirits and their formulated drinks; have the product assessed against it. Check artwork against current labelling requirements and GB 7718-2025, which takes effect on 16 March 2027.

Prepare the UK declaration and excise movement

For exports from England, Scotland or Wales, arrange a GB EORI and the correct commodity code. The online export declaration needs the goods’ value, weight and packaging, destination and transport, plus invoice and packing list references. Agree who will make that declaration and give the carrier the invoice and any required export licences or certificates.

HMRC’s Excise Notice 196 includes goods for export among goods that will not bear UK excise duty. Have your excise adviser confirm how this gin consignment will be moved and declared before agreeing the dispatch arrangements.

Consider cross-border retail separately

Gin appears on the cross-border e-commerce retail import list as 22085000 杜松子酒. Through bonded 1210 or direct 9610 channels, listed goods are supervised as personal-use articles, without first-import licence, registration or filing requirements. Exceptions cover goods from suspended epidemic areas and emergency handling of major quality and safety risks.

The overseas seller must appoint a mainland-registered company for customs registration, truthful declarations and shared civil liability. Consumers must accept a risk notice before ordering: origin-country standards may differ from Chinese standards, a Chinese electronic label may replace a physical Chinese label, and purchases are for personal use and may not be resold. This route therefore needs a separate retail plan.

Find and check your Chinese trading partner

Ask a prospective importer which gin route it plans to use, how its food-importer filing is handled and who will review the label and landed cost. Our own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands. If an importer has already approached you, our staff check that company before stock is sent or anything is signed.

We prepare registration and label work with licensed partners in China and check with those partners. Regulated roles remain with licensed partners in China, including the importer of record and, for cross-border retail, the required agent; your own filings remain yours. Use our export-to-China service to arrange that work.