Sourcing candied fruit and ginger from China

Ginger is duty-free, other candied fruit is not

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 2006 covers vegetables, fruit, nuts, fruit peel and other parts of plants preserved by sugar (drained, glacé or crystallised). Ginger carried 0% on goods from China. Every other line depends on sugar content: above 13% by weight, cherries and other fruit, peel and sweet corn carried 20% plus £20 per 100 kg, and tropical fruit and nuts 12% plus £12 per 100 kg. At 13% or less, tropical fruit carried 12% and everything else 20%. No line carried an anti-dumping measure.

The specific duty is charged on weight, so it adds most to cheap, heavy lines such as candied peel. Fruit in syrup, sugar-infused dried fruit and preserved plums may fall under heading 2008 instead; see our canned fruit guide and dried fruit guide, and confirm the commodity code. Fresh and dried ginger are in our spices and ginger guide.

Food law, additives and labelling

Candied fruit is food under the Food Safety Act 1990, and its additives must be permitted for the category under retained Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. Glacé fruit is often preserved with sulphur dioxide, and Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires sulphites above 10 mg/kg to be declared as an allergen. Foods containing Sunset yellow (E 110), Quinoline yellow (E 104), Carmoisine (E 122), Allura red (E 129), Tartrazine (E 102) or Ponceau 4R (E 124) must carry the warning that they may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.

Retail packs need the name, ingredients, allergens, net quantity, date mark, storage conditions and the UK business name and address.

Specifying candied fruit and ginger

Specify fruit and cut (dice, slices, halves), sugar content and water activity, coating (crystallised or glacé), colours and preservatives with limits, sulphite residue, piece size tolerance, moisture, foreign matter, microbiological limits, pack size and shelf life.

Worked duty example and VAT

Take a hypothetical order of 5 tonnes of crystallised ginger, entered under 2006 00 10 00: £15,000 free on board plus £1,200 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £16,200. Crystallised ginger carry no duty, so import VAT of 20% on £16,200, £3,240, is the only tax. A VAT-registered importer normally reclaims it, so the border adds no lasting cost. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.

VAT depends on the product under VAT Notice 701/14. Crystallised, sugared or chocolate-covered ginger and drained, glacé or crystallised fruits are standard-rated as confectionery, as in the example. Ginger in syrup, drained or dusted ginger can be zero-rated unless held out for sale as confectionery, and candied peel, angelica and glacé cherries for home baking are zero-rated. The weight duty also adds up: on 5 tonnes of candied peel with more than 13% sugar it is £1,000 before the 20%.

Inspection checklist

Product: check piece size, colour uniformity, stickiness or crystallisation, fibre in ginger, and foreign matter against the approved sample.

Laboratory: test sugar content (it decides the duty line), sulphite residue, colours used, moisture and yeasts and moulds.

Labels: check the ingredient list, allergen emphasis and any colour warning against the formulation before printing.

What goes wrong

Candied fruit orders fail on additives, sugar and moisture. Sulphite residue is higher than declared, a colour not on the label is used, sugar content crosses 13% and changes the duty line, and product ferments or grows mould in warm storage.

Agree the formulation in writing, test each lot, and match labels to test results. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources candied fruit and ginger for UK bakers and confectioners, checking the maker's formulation and test records first. See small orders.