Sourcing canned pork trotters from China
Relevant pork tariff lines carry £45 to £71 per 100 kg, depending on classification and composition. Confirm with APHA whether canned pork trotters from China are eligible for import into Great Britain; do not assume that cooking and canning make them an authorised exception. Cambridge China Bridge checks whether a product can be imported before any order is placed.
Canned pork trotter duties and import prohibition
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 1602 covers other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal, blood or insects. The table identifies classification candidates for canned trotter recipes, rather than confirmed codes. The domestic pork composition bands carry £45, £62 or £71 per 100 kg; the other preparation containing domestic swine meat or offal carries £71 per 100 kg. These lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no tariff suspension.
The animal-product prohibition has specified exceptions. Ask APHA to confirm whether canned pork trotters from China fall within those exceptions and can enter Great Britain before ordering. The selected tariff lines attach veterinary and organic import controls. Ask your customs broker to confirm the veterinary entry-document requirement and your organic control body to confirm certification and inspection-certificate requirements for any proposed lawful route. Those documents do not override any applicable prohibition.
Confirm the commodity code using the complete recipe, the cut and processing records, including whether the product is classified as a meat or offal preparation. See the fully cooked pork belly guide for the wider heading. A percentage-duty worked order cannot accurately be provided for these weight-based lines; an illustrative calculation would not establish import permission.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other domestic pork preparations, meat/offal/fat at least 80% | 1602 49 19 90 | £71.00 per 100 kg | None |
| Domestic pork preparations, meat/offal/fat 40% to below 80% | 1602 49 30 00 | £62.00 per 100 kg | None |
| Domestic pork preparations, meat/offal/fat below 40% | 1602 49 50 00 | £45.00 per 100 kg | None |
| Other preparations containing domestic swine meat or offal | 1602 90 51 00 | £71.00 per 100 kg | None |
Specify the trotter cut, sauce and can
Establish import eligibility before approving samples or packaging. For a lawful supply route, specify whole or split trotters, bone-in or boneless pieces, skin coverage, removal of bristles and the acceptable proportion of bone, skin and edible tissue. Record all meat, offal and added-fat ingredients separately from sauce, water and starch.
Agree sauce flavour, colour, saltiness, skin softness and whether pieces should remain intact after heating. Specify net contents, drained contents where relevant, can opening method, internal coating, seam acceptance criteria and carton protection. Request heat-processing records and evidence supporting shelf life. Approve storage instructions and batch markings before printing.
Inspection checklist
Eligibility: check the origin and complete formulation before shipment. This checklist applies to a lawful supply route and does not authorise canned pork trotters from China to enter Great Britain.
Can integrity: inspect seams, leakage, swelling, rust and dents around the seam. Isolate suspect cans for investigation before releasing stock.
Contents: compare sampled contents with the agreed specification for piece size, bone proportion, residual bristles, skin texture, sauce consistency and fill weight.
Labels and records: check the food name, ingredients with allergens emphasised, net quantity, date mark, storage instructions and food business name and UK address. Match batch markings to processing and inspection records.
What goes wrong
A supplier presents a tariff code, a cooked-product description or an organic certificate as evidence that the shipment can enter Great Britain. Ask APHA to confirm whether canned pork trotters from China are eligible for import rather than relying on those claims. Resolve eligibility before paying for production or printed cans.
For a lawful supply route, disputes can arise over excessive bone, residual bristles, broken pieces, tough skin or sauce that differs from the approved sample. Seam damage, swelling and inconsistent batch markings also need investigation. Keep an agreed specification and retained samples so the factory and buyer can compare the same product.
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 canned pork trotters from China?
Relevant candidate lines carry £45, £62 or £71 per 100 kg, depending on classification and composition. These duty rates do not establish permission to import canned pork trotters from China into Great Britain; confirm eligibility with APHA.
Can I import canned pork trotters from China into Great Britain?
Confirm with APHA whether canned pork trotters fall within the permitted exceptions to the prohibition on animal products from China before ordering. A tariff code or duty payment does not establish import permission.
Does cooking or canning make Chinese pork trotters importable?
Ask APHA to confirm whether the proposed canned pork trotters fall within a permitted exception. Do not approve production for a Great Britain shipment on the assumption that heat treatment removes the prohibition.
What should I check when canned pork trotters arrive?
For a lawful supply route, check seams, swelling, leaks, rust, batch markings and labels. Compare fill weight, bone proportion, bristles, skin texture and sauce with the agreed specification; isolate suspect cans.
Sources
- UK Trade Tariff — commodity codes and duty
- Decision on protective measures for animal products from China
- General information for imports of animal products for human consumption
- Foodstuffs with Great Britain import restrictions
- Importing organic food, feed and seed to the UK
- HMRC — Food products (VAT Notice 701/14)