Sourcing anchovy oil from China

Duty on anchovy oil

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 1504 covers fish and marine mammal fats, oils and fractions, refined or not, but not chemically modified. This guide concerns anchovy oil. Specify whether the material is body oil, a solid fraction or separately extracted liver oil; the liver rows do not describe ordinary anchovy body oil.

For goods from China, ordinary anchovy body oil under 1504 20 90 00 carries 0%, while solid fractions carry 10%. Separately identified liver oil carries 2% where vitamin A does not exceed 2,500 International Units per gram, otherwise 0%. The supplied tariff data records no anti-dumping or countervailing measures and no suspensions on these lines.

The tariff attaches veterinary, organic-product, CITES and waste import controls, plus CITES and waste export controls. Confirm their applicability to the declared species, use and condition. Use the commodity-code guide to check the classification with your broker. Chemically modified oil and finished supplement capsules need separate classification. The fish-oil guide covers the wider product family.

Specify the anchovy source and oil grade

Name the anchovy species and raw-material origin rather than accepting a generic fish-oil description. Specify food, feed or technical use, refining process, fatty-acid profile, oxidation criteria, free fatty acids, antioxidants and storage conditions. Agree peroxide, anisidine and total oxidation acceptance criteria with the supplier and laboratory before approving a sample.

For food use, confirm country and establishment approval before ordering, and ask APHA or your customs broker to confirm pre-notification arrangements and the shipment's risk category. Medium-risk animal-origin products require an export health certificate; confirm the documents needed for low-risk fishery products with APHA or your broker. Ask the relevant food authority to confirm applicable marine-oil dioxin and PCB limits for human consumption. Feed and technical oil follow the animal by-products route; their containers must be labelled as not for human consumption.

For organic oil, arrange the certificate of inspection with the exporter's control body and confirm the consignment requirements with your broker. CITES-listed species require permits; an anchovy-specific requirement has not been established here, so ask your broker to confirm the tariff control against the exact species. If the material is waste subject to notification controls, consent is needed from the competent authorities before shipment.

Agree sealed, nitrogen-flushed drums, batch identification and a retained sample. Request batch-specific testing for the fatty-acid profile, oxidation, dioxins, PCBs and heavy metals. Match the manufacturer's declared shelf life to the agreed packaging and storage conditions rather than relying on a generic specification sheet.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 1 tonne of refined anchovy body oil in sealed drums under 1504 20 90 00, invoiced at £4,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,500, so it is £1,300. 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 the anchovy species, raw-material origin, grade and batch against the order and certificate of analysis.

Documents: check establishment approval and the health certificate or commercial documents for the food route, or the applicable animal by-product documents.

Laboratory: independently sample the delivered batch for fatty-acid composition, oxidation and contaminants; compare the results with the agreed specification and applicable food limits.

Packing: inspect drum seals, leakage, batch markings, nitrogen-flushing records and storage or transport temperature records before releasing the oil.

What goes wrong

A sample's fatty-acid profile may not match the delivered batch, or the supplier may describe a mixed fish oil as anchovy oil. Oxygen exposure, leaking seals and heat can leave oil oxidised on arrival. A certificate of analysis for another batch does not establish the quality of the shipment you received.

Food, feed and technical descriptions can also disagree across the order, labels and shipment documents. Settle the intended-use route before dispatch, then compare arrival samples with the agreed acceptance criteria. Use the inspection guide to define sampling and release checks.

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.