Sourcing bovine gelatin from China

Zero duty, with veterinary controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 3503 covers gelatin and its derivatives, isinglass and other animal glues. Bovine gelatin falls within 3503 00 10 00, carrying 0% duty for goods from China. No anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension is listed. The table shows grades sharing this commodity line, rather than separate tariff classifications.

The tariff attaches veterinary control. For food use in Great Britain, confirm country eligibility and the establishment's approval before ordering. Confirm the consignment's risk category and matching documents; medium-risk imports need a health certificate. Submit the animal-product import notification before arrival and use an entry point with a relevant border control post. For technical gelatin, confirm the applicable animal by-product documentation with APHA or your customs broker.

The tariff also attaches import and export waste controls. If the consignment is waste subject to notification controls, the exporter must apply through the dispatch country's competent authority, and shipment to England requires the relevant authorities' consent. Ask your customs broker to confirm whether those controls apply to your goods. Confirm the commodity code against the product and intended use.

Specify bovine origin and gel performance

Specify bovine hide or bone origin, intended use, Bloom strength, viscosity with its test conditions, particle size, colour, odour, moisture and ash. Agree heavy-metal and microbiological acceptance criteria for food grade. Ask for a batch certificate of analysis and raw-material origin records. Treat halal or kosher claims as a separate verification task.

For food use, your business must have food safety management procedures in place. Plan how received lots will be checked, stored and linked to customer deliveries. Trial a sample in the actual dessert, capsule or manufacturing process before approving the specification. For another product family within this heading, see fish gelatin sourcing.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 10 tonnes of food-grade bovine hide gelatin, subject to import eligibility under 3503 00 10 00, invoiced at £48,000 free on board, with £2,400 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £50,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £50,400, so it is £10,080. 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.

Inspection checklist

Origin: check the bovine species declaration, hide or bone source and batch records against the order; arrange species testing where identity matters.

Performance: compare Bloom strength and viscosity with the agreed specification, test a retained sample and check dissolution, colour and odour.

Batch quality: check moisture, ash, heavy-metal and microbiological results against the agreed criteria; match the laboratory sample reference to the delivered lot.

Packing and documents: check sealed liners, dry bags and readable lot marks; match the goods to the approved establishment and relevant import documents. See quality inspection explained.

What goes wrong

Weak gel strength or variable viscosity changes setting and processing behaviour. Mixed-species material undermines the bovine specification and dietary claims. Damp bags, unusual odour or inconsistent laboratory results need investigation before the lot enters production.

A supplier's food-grade certificate does not establish import eligibility. Missing establishment approval can leave the consignment held or rejected. Check approval and documents before loading, then reconcile the delivered bags with the tested batch. Ask for factory verification when the supplier cannot explain raw-material sourcing or batch testing.

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.