How to export malt and hops from the UK to China

Set the route for your brewing ingredients

For malt, hops and brewing ingredients, establish the product's classification and manufacturer registration route before agreeing a shipment. Malt under HS 1107 falls within the recommended category for milled grain products and malt; confirm the precise coverage in GACC's registration system. The largest UK export line was 11071099, Malt (excl. roasted, wheat and flour), £1.7m.

HMRC recorded £2.9m of UK goods exports to mainland China under HS 110710, 110720, 121020, 121030, 130213 in 2025 (2024: £3.6m, -18.4%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £6k. January to July 2026: £1.8m against £2.3m in the same months of 2025 (-19.4%).

Arrange the manufacturer's registration

GACC Decree 280 requires overseas food manufacturers, processors and storage enterprises exporting food to China to register. For malt in the recommended category, the manufacturer applies itself or through an agent and obtains a competent-authority recommendation, supported by a plant audit, audit report and recommendation letter. Confirm the hops route in GACC's registration system. Plan for approvals to take months, not weeks; the Chinese authority decides.

The overseas exporter or agent must also file with GACC, and the importer must file with its local customs office. Put the manufacturer's China registration number, or the number approved by its home authority, on the packaging. The manufacturer's registration number must also be entered correctly on the Chinese customs declaration; customs will not accept an incorrectly completed declaration.

Price against the Chinese tariff line

The listed Chinese tariff lines have the following MFN rates for unroasted malt, roasted malt, processed hop cones and lupulin, and hop extracts respectively. For a product described under HS 121030, have the importer's customs broker confirm its Chinese classification before calculating the landed cost.

The VAT Law sets a standard import VAT rate of 13%, with 9% for specified goods including agricultural products. Have the importer's customs broker confirm the applicable rate for your ingredient and whether consumption tax applies. Import VAT uses the customs value plus customs duty plus consumption tax as its base. These border taxes add to landed cost and shape the price the importer can offer.

Approve the packaging before production

Imported prepackaged malt and hops must have compliant Chinese labels, including origin and the domestic agent's name, address and contact details; Chinese instructions are required where applicable. Packaging, labels and marks must meet Chinese law and national food safety standards. GB 7718-2025 takes effect on 16 March 2027, so check artwork against both the current requirements and the forthcoming standard before printing.

Prepare the UK export declaration

Classify the malt or hops and obtain the correct UK commodity code. Exports from England, Scotland and Wales need a GB EORI number and an online export declaration. Give the declarant the value, weight, packaging, destination, transport details, and invoice and packing list references. The carrier needs the invoice and any required export licences or certificates; settle the shipment's document requirements with the importer before dispatch.

Find and check the Chinese buyer

Our own staff in China find and check Chinese importers and distributors for UK brands. If an importer has already approached you about your malt or hops, our staff in China check that company before stock is sent or anything is signed. Use our export-to-China service to arrange this work.

We prepare registration and label work with licensed partners in China. Regulated importer-of-record duties stay with licensed partners in China, and your own filings stay yours. We check the work with licensed partners. Agree who supplies the registration details, approves the Chinese artwork and coordinates the shipment documents before committing stock.