Sourcing active dried wine yeast from China
Active dried wine yeast from China carries 0% UK duty across the relevant active-yeast lines, with no listed trade remedies. Importers must ensure the yeast is safe and legal before importing into Great Britain. Match the strain and fermentation performance to your wine. Cambridge China Bridge sources active dried wine yeast.
Duty and classification for wine yeast
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 2102 covers active and inactive yeasts, other dead single-cell micro-organisms and prepared baking powders. For active dried wine yeast, check the other active yeast and culture yeast descriptions against the supplier's specification. The baker's yeast rows are classification comparisons, not suggested declarations for wine yeast.
The supplied active-yeast lines carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing measures and no suspensions. The tariff attaches an organic import control. Confirm the consignment's certificate and release requirements with your customs broker and approved UK organic control body before shipping organic-labelled yeast. A business importing organic products must be based and certified in the UK.
Confirm the commodity code using the strain identity, active dried form, full composition and intended wine-making use. Do not classify from the word yeast alone. For the related brewing family, see active dried brewers' yeast.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other active yeast, non-feed: candidate for dried wine yeast | 2102 10 90 90 | 0% | None |
| Culture yeast, non-feed: check against the product specification | 2102 10 10 90 | 0% | None |
| Dried baker's yeast: classification comparison | 2102 10 31 00 | 0% | None |
| Other baker's yeast: classification comparison | 2102 10 39 00 | 0% | None |
Specify the strain and wine fermentation
Specify the yeast species and strain, intended wine style, grape must conditions and whether the product is for primary fermentation or restarting a stalled fermentation. Ask for the complete composition, including any carriers or added ingredients, and a batch certificate of analysis.
Agree viable-cell activity, moisture, microbiological acceptance criteria, storage conditions and remaining shelf life on arrival. Request rehydration and pitching instructions, fermentation temperature guidance and evidence supporting the claimed alcohol tolerance. Approve a sample through a fermentation trial in your own must before buying the production batch.
Importers must ensure goods are safe and legal before import into Great Britain. For retail packs, check the food name, ingredients, net quantity, date marking and UK food-business address against the labelling requirements.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 1 tonne of active dried wine yeast in sealed bulk packs under 2102 10 90 90, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £32,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £32,000, so it is £6,400. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step. This assumes the goods are standard-rated for VAT. Most food for human consumption is zero-rated, and animal feed can be too, in which case no import VAT is due, so check the rate for your product in HMRC's VAT Notice 701/14.
Inspection checklist
Identity: match strain, composition and batch references on the packs, invoice and certificate of analysis.
Activity: compare viable-cell and fermentation results with the agreed specification; repeat the must trial on an arrival sample.
Packing: check seals, vacuum where specified, moisture damage, clumping and any transport temperature record.
Labels and dates: check storage instructions, date codes and agreed remaining shelf life; review retail food information. Use quality inspection to agree checks before dispatch.
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What goes wrong
A supplier substitutes a strain with different fermentation behaviour, or provides results for a sample rather than the shipped batch. The yeast may start slowly, leave residual sugar or give an unwanted aroma. Match the batch evidence to the delivered packs and compare performance in the intended must.
Leaking packs, moisture and heat in transit can reduce activity. Short remaining shelf life leaves little time to use the stock. Agree packing and arrival acceptance criteria before ordering, then keep suspect packs separate while you investigate.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on active dried wine yeast from China?
The supplied tariff facts show 0% on the relevant active-yeast lines, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty. Confirm the commodity code from the actual product specification.
Which commodity code should I use for dried wine yeast?
Check 2102 10 90 90 and the culture yeast description against the full specification. Ask your customs broker to confirm the classification; dried form alone does not make wine yeast baker's yeast.
Can I import organic wine yeast from China?
The tariff attaches an organic import control. Your business must be based and certified in the UK. Confirm the product's certificate and release requirements with your broker and approved organic control body.
How do I check that imported wine yeast still works?
Match the batch certificate to the packs, inspect seals and moisture damage, and run a fermentation trial in your intended must using the agreed rehydration and pitching method.