Sourcing bran and milling residues from China
UK duty on cereal bran and milling residues from China is £36 to £74 per 1,000 kg; leguminous plant residues pay 4%. Confirm applicable feed business registration and labelling requirements with the relevant authority before importing for feed use. Rice residues also carry a GMO import control. Cambridge China Bridge sources bran and milling residues.
Duty follows the crop and analysis
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 3 October 2026, heading 2302 covers bran, sharps and other residues from sifting, milling or otherwise working cereals or leguminous plants, including pellets. Cereal lines carry £36 or £74 per 1,000 kg; leguminous plant residues carry 4%. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions.
The tariff attaches organic import and waste import controls throughout, and a GMO import control to rice residues. Organic importers must be based and certified in the UK. Waste shipment controls apply only where the material is waste. Confirm organic inspection certificates and any waste notification requirements with your customs broker. For rice residues from China, ask the broker and port health authority to confirm the required clearance documents and entry arrangements before shipment.
The record also lists an export waste control, relevant if goods are later exported. Confirm the commodity code using the crop, processing method and laboratory results. Maize and rice splits depend on starch; the lower-duty wheat and other cereal lines also use sieve or ash tests. A supplier's description of the goods as bran is insufficient.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maize bran and residues, starch not exceeding 35% by weight | 2302 10 10 00 | £36.00 per 1000 kg | None |
| Other maize bran and milling residues | 2302 10 90 00 | £74.00 per 1000 kg | None |
| Wheat bran and residues meeting the starch and sieve or ash tests | 2302 30 10 00 | £36.00 per 1000 kg | None |
| Other wheat bran and milling residues | 2302 30 90 00 | £74.00 per 1000 kg | None |
| Rice bran and residues, starch not exceeding 35% by weight | 2302 40 02 00 | £36.00 per 1000 kg | None |
| Other rice bran and milling residues | 2302 40 08 00 | £74.00 per 1000 kg | None |
| Bran and processing residues of leguminous plants | 2302 50 00 00 | 4% | None |
Specify the milling fraction and intended use
State whether you need wheat bran, maize residues, rice bran or leguminous plant residues, and whether the material is loose or pelleted. Describe the milling process and any subsequent extraction or blending. Agree moisture, crude protein, fibre, residual oil, ash and particle size against the intended food or feed use.
For feed, confirm applicable feed business registration, feed material naming, statutory declaration and undesirable substance requirements with the relevant authority. Request batch analysis and agree contaminant testing with the laboratory. Do not treat a feed specification as a food specification.
For rice bran, agree stabilisation treatment, storage conditions and checks for rancidity. Record organic claims and request the supporting documents before approving packaging. Use testing and certification support to define the sampling and analysis brief.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 12 tonnes of pea milling residues for animal feed under 2302 50 00 00, invoiced at £3,500 free on board, with £2,680 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,180. Duty at 4% is £247.20. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,427.20, so it is £1,285.44. Import taxes total £1,532.64; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £247.20 of duty. 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: compare the crop, milling fraction and pellet or loose form with the contract; investigate husk, grit or unexpected flour content.
Analysis: independently sample the lot and test moisture, protein, fibre, oil, starch and ash against the agreed specification and relevant tariff split.
Condition: on arrival, check for heating, mould, insects, caking and rancid odour; retain samples from affected bags separately.
Documents and packs: match batch references to test reports and delivery documents; check bag integrity, net weight and feed declarations. Confirm rice clearance evidence with the broker.
What goes wrong
A sample can contain a different milling fraction from the shipment. Extra flour raises starch, while husk or grit changes fibre and ash. These differences can alter both feeding value and tariff classification. Agree independent sampling through the quality inspection guide.
Damp bran can cake or grow mould in transit, and unstabilised rice bran can develop rancid odours. Missing organic paperwork or unresolved rice clearance arrangements can disrupt delivery. Approve the lot analysis, packaging and document checklist before loading, then compare arrival samples with retained loading samples.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on bran from China?
Cereal bran and milling residues carry £36 or £74 per 1,000 kg, depending on the commodity line. Leguminous plant residues under 2302 50 00 00 carry 4%. The supplied record lists no trade remedies or suspensions.
Can I import rice bran from China?
The rice lines carry a GMO import control. Before ordering, ask your customs broker and port health authority to confirm the documents, testing and entry arrangements required for your consignment.
Do I need to register to import bran for animal feed?
Confirm applicable feed business registration, labelling and undesirable substance requirements with the relevant authority before importing feed materials.
Is milling residue automatically treated as waste?
Waste shipment controls apply only if the material is waste. Ask your broker to confirm its status and the applicable controls; a milling residue description alone does not settle that question.