How to export milk powder from the UK to China

Start with the manufacturer's approval route

Milk powder and concentrated milk fall within the dairy recommendation route under GACC Decree 280. Confirm the product in GACC's registration system. The manufacturer must apply, itself or through an agent, and obtain its country's competent-authority recommendation following a plant audit, with an audit report and recommendation letter. Plan for months, not weeks: the Chinese authority decides. Where quarantine approval is required, the importer must obtain the permit before signing the trade contract.

HMRC recorded £1.5m of UK goods exports to mainland China under HS 040210, 040221, 040229, 040291, 040299 in 2025 (2024: £4.5m, -65.8%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £47k. January to July 2026: £0 against £1.5m in the same months of 2025 (-100%).

The largest listed UK export line under these HS codes was 04022911, special milk for infants in solid forms, sweetened, at £1.3m. These are HS-code totals, not sales of your particular product. Distinguish solid milk by fat content and sweetening, and concentrated non-solid milk by sweetening, before agreeing the classification.

Price against the Chinese tariff line

Each Chinese line below has a 10% MFN rate. The VAT Law sets a standard import rate of 13% and 9% for listed goods, including agricultural products. Your importer's customs broker confirms the applicable VAT treatment and whether consumption tax applies. Import VAT uses customs value plus duty plus consumption tax as its base. Border taxes add to landed cost and shape the price an importer can offer.

Prepare the dairy specification and Chinese artwork

Use GB 19644-2024, Milk powder and formulated milk powder, and GB 13102-2022, Concentrated milk products, to identify the relevant product standard with your importer and licensed partners. Under GACC Decree 249, packaging, labels and marks must comply with Chinese law and national food safety standards; required instructions must be in Chinese. Give your partners the formulation and proposed artwork for this review.

Once registered, the manufacturer must put its China registration number, or the number approved by its home authority, on the food packaging. The overseas manufacturer's registration number must also be entered correctly on the import declaration; customs will not accept a declaration completed otherwise. Match the supplier's registration details to the pack and declaration before dispatch.

Check certificate 6288 before arranging shipment

GOV.UK lists active export health certificate 6288 for milk or milk products to China. Its scope includes food products containing dairy. Check its guidance notes for plant, product and ingredient limits before treating your powder or concentrate as eligible. Ask the manufacturer what product and plant information is needed for the certificate process, and confirm the requirements with the issuing authority.

For exports from England, Scotland or Wales, arrange a GB EORI, classify the goods and make the export declaration. The declaration needs the commodity code, value, weight, packaging, destination, transport and invoice and packing-list references. Give the carrier the invoice and any required export licences or certificates, including the applicable dairy health certificate.

Consider bonded cross-border retail separately

Chinese lines 04021000, 04022100, 04022900, 04029100 and 04029900 appear on the cross-border e-commerce retail import list, each restricted to online bonded goods. That restriction matters when choosing a channel. Qualifying retail imports are supervised as personal-use articles, without first-import licence, registration or filing requirements, subject to the stated epidemic-area and emergency-risk exceptions.

The overseas cross-border business remains responsible for product quality and safety and must appoint a mainland-registered company for customs registration, truthful declarations and shared civil liability. Consumers must accept a risk notice covering differences from Chinese standards and possible absence of a Chinese label, with a Chinese electronic label available online. Purchases are for personal use and cannot be resold.

Find an importer able to prepare this dairy route

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. Establish which route the importer intends to use and how it will coordinate registration details, the applicable quarantine permit, certificate 6288 and label review.

For this category, our help is limited to preparation, finding and checking a Chinese importer, and coordinating licensed partners. We prepare registration and label work with licensed partners in China. The importer of record and any required cross-border e-commerce agent stay with licensed partners; your own filings remain yours. See our export preparation service.