Sourcing brined mushrooms from China

0% duty on provisionally preserved mushrooms

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 13 November 2026, heading 0711 covers vegetables provisionally preserved but unsuitable in that state for immediate consumption. For brined mushrooms, identify the genus, preservation method and intended processing. Ready-to-eat preserved vegetables fall outside this heading. The table includes a vegetable-mixture line for buyers sourcing blends; confirm the composition before using it.

The listed mushroom lines and vegetable-mixture line carry 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff facts list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions for these lines. Each carries an organic import control. Organic goods imported from China into Great Britain require a Great Britain certificate of inspection. Ask your approved UK organic control body to confirm eligibility and the remaining import arrangements before dispatch.

Code 0711 59 00 11 has specific genus exclusions and describes mushrooms for the food-canning industry. Give your broker the scientific species name, preservative composition and intended use to confirm the commodity code. For the wider product family, see brined vegetables for processing.

Specify mushrooms for your processing method

Specify species by scientific name, whole mushrooms or cuts, cap size, stem allowance, firmness, colour and acceptable defects. Agree brine salt content, acidity, preservatives, drained weight per drum, drum material and liner. Ask the processor to assess a sample after its intended desalting and cooking process.

Record sulphur dioxide use and request residual sulphite results for the supplied mushrooms. Agree what the processor can remove during desalting rather than accepting a result for the brine alone. Importers must ensure goods are safe and legal before import into Great Britain; needing further processing does not remove that responsibility.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of brined Agaricus mushrooms in food-grade drums under 0711 51 00 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £11,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £11,500, so it is £2,300. 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 and grading: match the declared species, cut, cap size and stem allowance to the approved sample; check broken pieces, discolouration and foreign matter.

Brine and residues: measure salt content and acidity against the agreed specification; match residual sulphite results to the shipped lot and processor's requirements.

Drained yield: use the agreed draining method and weigh mushrooms from sampled drums; compare the usable product with the declared drained weight.

Drums and records: check seals, liners, leaks and brine coverage; match drum lot marks to packing records and laboratory reports. Use the inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

Leaking drums can leave mushrooms exposed above the brine. Soft caps, discolouration, broken pieces and short drained weight reduce processing yield. Excess residual sulphite can exceed what the buyer's desalting process can remove. Photograph defects and keep samples linked to the affected drum and lot.

A supplier's description of 'salted mushrooms' does not establish the species or commodity code. Resolve missing species information and intended use before shipping, especially when the supplier proposes the food-canning line. Trial the actual processing method before approving the bulk specification.

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.