Sourcing animal by-products from China
Animal products from China such as horsehair, sinews, hide parings, natural sponges, fish waste, semen, ova and embryos pay 0% UK duty on all 9 lines, with no anti-dumping duty. Most are animal by-products under the retained 2009 regulation, and germinal products need approved collection centres and health certificates.
Horsehair, sinews, hide parings, fish waste, semen and embryos and other animal products from China pay 0% UK duty. Animal by-product rules explained.
0% on every line
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 0511 covers animal products not elsewhere specified or included and dead animals of chapters 1 and 3 unfit for human consumption. All 9 lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure: bovine semen, fish waste, other fish or crustacean products, sinews or tendons and parings of raw hides or skins, natural sponges of animal origin (raw or other), mammalian semen, mammalian ova and embryos, and other animal products such as horsehair.
Bristles and hair of pigs and badgers are heading 0502, feathers and down 0505 (see our feathers and down guide), and animal feed 2309 (see our pet food and feed guide); confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bovine semen | 0511 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Fish waste | 0511 91 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Sinews or tendons; parings of raw hides | 0511 99 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Mammalian ova and embryos | 0511 99 85 20 | 0% | None |
| Other animal products, such as horsehair | 0511 99 85 90 | 0% | None |
Animal by-product and germinal product rules
Most of these goods are animal by-products under retained Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009, which sets categories by risk and import conditions such as approved establishments, treatment standards and commercial documents or health certificates. Horsehair, for example, must meet the treatment conditions for its intended use before it can be imported.
Semen, ova and embryos are germinal products that need approved collection or production centres, animal health certificates and pre-notification, so confirm the conditions for the species before ordering.
Specifying animal by-products
Specify species, the product and its intended use, the treatment applied (washing, heat treatment or other), grading such as length and colour for horsehair, moisture and cleanliness, packing and the certificates required.
Worked duty example
For a made-up shipment of 2 tonnes of dressed horsehair for brushes and upholstery under 0511 99 85 90, add the £1,500 of freight and insurance to the £30,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £31,500. Duty on horsehair is zero, leaving import VAT of £6,300, 20% of the customs value. For a VAT-registered buyer that is a cash-flow cost rather than a lasting one. Animal products not used for human or animal food are standard-rated for VAT. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
Inspection checklist
Documents: check the health certificate or commercial document, the establishment approval and the treatment record against the import conditions.
Quality: check grading, cleanliness, moisture, odour and foreign matter on samples.
Packing: check sealed, labelled packing that keeps different categories of by-product apart.
What goes wrong
By-product orders fail on paperwork and treatment. Shipments arrive without the certificate or treatment evidence the import conditions require, the category is misdeclared, and products are dirty, damp or mixed with other materials.
Confirm the import conditions and documents first, and inspect before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources horsehair and other animal by-products for UK brush, upholstery and specialist users, checking the processor's approvals and treatment first. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on horsehair from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, other animal products such as horsehair (0511 99 85 90) carried 0% from China.
Are these goods animal by-products?
Most are, under retained Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009, with import conditions by category.
Can semen or embryos be imported?
Only from approved centres with animal health certificates and pre-notification.
Is VAT charged on horsehair?
Yes. Animal products not for human or animal food are standard-rated.