How to export vaccines from the UK to China

Establish the product's Chinese import route

Start by establishing the exact product and its import route with the prospective importer. Vaccines and immunological products are not on the cross-border e-commerce retail import list. For products marketed as drugs in China, plan around drug registration and approved drug import ports before agreeing supply.

For UK exports under HS 3002-3002 (9 subheadings): HMRC recorded £154.8m of UK goods exports to mainland China under 9 HS6 subheadings in 2025 (2024: £134.7m, +14.9%). Exports to Hong Kong under the same codes were £9.2m.

Under HS 3002-3002 (9 subheadings), UK exports were as follows. January to July 2026: £80.9m against £101.2m in the same months of 2025 (-20%). These totals cover the goods under those codes, rather than vaccines alone.

Keep the manufacturer's application with the manufacturer

A drug marketed in China needs approval from the national drug regulator and a drug registration certificate. Confirm who should make the registration application with the Chinese authority or licensed partners; the manufacturer's own filings stay its own. The Chinese authority decides, and the process takes months, not weeks. The importing enterprise must file with the drug regulator at an approved drug import port. Customs releases the drugs against the import drug clearance notice. Agree these responsibilities with the importer before preparing a shipment.

Price against the exact Chinese tariff line

The 2026 Customs Import and Export Tariff gives the lines below a 3% MFN rate and a 0% provisional rate. Veterinary vaccines under 30024200 have a 3% MFN rate. Import VAT is generally 13%, subject to special rules, on customs value plus duty plus consumption tax. The importer's customs broker confirms the applicable VAT treatment and whether consumption tax applies. Border taxes add to landed cost and shape the price an importer can offer.

Match the UK classification and export paperwork

Classify the shipment and check GOV.UK's special export rules for medicines. Exports from England, Scotland or Wales need a GB EORI and an online export declaration with 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. The largest UK export line here was immunological products under HS 300215, line 30021500: £121.0m to mainland China in 2025.

Find and check an importer before committing stock

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. For these products, assess the proposed import route alongside the company's ability to coordinate registration and port clearance.

For this category, our help is limited to preparation, finding and checking a Chinese importer, and coordinating licensed partners in China. We prepare registration and label work with those partners; the importer of record stays with licensed partners, and the manufacturer's own filings stay its own. Use our export preparation service to organise this work.