Sourcing breadsticks from China
The breadstick-related tariff lines shown here all carry 8% UK duty from China, with no trade remedy or suspension recorded. Check the recipe before ordering: animal ingredients can bring composite-product controls, and ingredient-list and allergen-emphasis requirements should be confirmed with the relevant labelling authority. Cambridge China Bridge sources breadsticks.
Breadstick classification and duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, the selected lines within heading 1905 carry 8% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension recorded. Breadsticks may need assessment as bread, biscuits, toasted products or other bakers' wares. These are classification candidates, not interchangeable codes. See the wider bakery guide.
The tariff attaches veterinary and organic controls. Dairy or egg ingredients can make breadsticks composite products; confirm eligibility and any exemption before shipping. Non-exempt composite products are subject to veterinary checks at border control posts. For organic breadsticks, confirm the certificate requirement with your customs broker; the certificate of inspection is issued by the exporter's control body in the country of export.
The tariff also attaches a restriction on entry into free circulation, and some selected lines attach genetically modified organism controls relating to rice. Confirm applicability with your customs broker, especially for rice-flour recipes. Where the goods fall within high-risk food controls, authorities must be notified before import. Give your broker the complete recipe and production method to confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread meeting the specified ingredient, sugar and fat conditions | 1905 90 30 00 | 8% | None |
| Non-sweet biscuits, potentially including biscuit-type sticks | 1905 90 45 00 | 8% | None |
| Toasted bread and similar toasted products, other than rusks | 1905 40 90 00 | 8% | None |
| Other bakers' wares not covered by the preceding subdivisions | 1905 90 80 00 | 8% | None |
Specify the dough, bake and protective pack
Specify flour type, yeast or other raising ingredients, oil, salt, seasonings and toppings. Record milk, egg, sesame and other allergens, including ingredients in flavour blends. For the bread subdivision, the recipe must meet its exclusions and dry-matter sugar and fat conditions. Ask the factory to distinguish baked dough sticks from extruded snacks and products toasted after baking.
Agree length, thickness, colour, crispness, permitted breakage and remaining shelf life on arrival. Approve a production sample in the intended retail pack. Compare plain, sesame and cheese-flavoured versions separately, since their recipes differ. Ask for shelf-life evidence covering moisture uptake and oil rancidity, and specify a moisture barrier, reliable seals and carton protection.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2,000 kg of savoury breadsticks, assuming classification is confirmed under 1905 90 80 00, invoiced at £14,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £16,500. Duty at 8% is £1,320. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £17,820, so it is £3,564. Import taxes total £4,884; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,320 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
Recipe and batch: compare production records and seasoning ingredients with the approved recipe; check allergen and contaminant test results against the batch supplied.
Bake and texture: compare colour, thickness and crispness with the approved sample; check for burnt ends, soft centres, rancid odours and loose toppings.
Labels and weights: check English ingredients, emphasised allergens, net weight, best-before date and UK address; compare pack weights and date coding with the approved artwork.
Packing and arrival: inspect seals, crushed cartons and broken sticks; open arrival samples to assess crispness and odour. Use the inspection guide to agree the checks.
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What goes wrong
Long, thin breadsticks can arrive broken when packs leave too much movement inside the carton. Weak moisture barriers or leaking seals let the product soften. Oils and cheese seasonings can develop stale or rancid odours before the claimed shelf life. Test the actual pack and recipe, rather than accepting results for another flavour.
A factory may change the oil, flour blend or seasoning without updating the English label. An undeclared milk ingredient in a flavour blend is a particular concern. Hold affected stock while you compare the batch recipe, label and test evidence. Settle animal-ingredient import questions before placing the order.
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 breadsticks from China?
The selected breadstick-related lines carry 8% duty in the supplied tariff record, read on 30 September 2026. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension is recorded. Confirm the code for your recipe.
Which commodity code should I use for breadsticks?
Use the full recipe and production method. Bread, biscuit-type sticks, toasted products and other bakers' wares have different subdivisions. The product name alone does not settle classification.
Can I import cheese-flavoured breadsticks from China?
Confirm the actual dairy ingredients and composite-product eligibility before ordering. Animal ingredients can bring import controls unless an exemption applies; do not assume flavouring is dairy-free.
How do I stop breadsticks arriving soft or broken?
Approve the intended moisture-barrier pack, check seals and carton protection, and assess breakage and crispness on packed samples. Repeat these checks on arrival against the agreed specification.