Sourcing capelin oil from China

Duty depends on the oil and its fractions

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 1504 covers fish oils and their fractions, refined or not, but not chemically modified. Capelin body oil other than solid fractions carries 0% duty from China; solid fractions carry 10%. Separately extracted liver oil carries 2% where vitamin A does not exceed 2500 International Units per gram, otherwise 0%. The supplied tariff data records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions on these lines.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches veterinary, organic-product, CITES and waste import controls to the capelin-relevant lines. Food-grade oil needs the animal-origin checks described below. For organic claims, confirm certificate requirements with your customs broker and organic control body; the exporter’s control body issues the inspection certificate. For CITES, the importer should confirm the requirement with their customs broker. If the consignment is waste subject to notification controls, the exporter must apply for consent through the dispatch country’s competent authority.

Use the liver-oil rows only for oil specifically extracted from liver. Record the raw material, processing and whether the goods are a solid fraction before confirming the commodity code. Chemically modified oils and finished supplement capsules need a separate classification review. See the wider fish oil guide for related products.

Specify capelin identity, grade and oxidation

Ask for the species identity, catching origin and processing history, including whether the Chinese supplier refines imported crude oil. Specify capelin-only oil or disclose any blend. Agree food, feed or technical use, refining and deodorisation, fatty-acid profile, peroxide and anisidine values, free fatty acids, antioxidants, storage conditions and remaining shelf life.

For food use in Great Britain, confirm approved country and establishment status, pre-notification and the applicable risk category. Medium-risk animal-origin products require an export health certificate; confirm documentation for low-risk fishery products with your customs broker. Confirm applicable dioxin and PCB requirements for marine oils for human consumption with the relevant food authority. For feed and technical oil, confirm the applicable animal by-products route with APHA; check the producer’s export approval before ordering.

Agree independent batch sampling and tests for oxidation, fatty-acid composition, dioxins, PCBs and heavy metals. Specify sealed drums or bulk containers, protection from oxygen and heat, and batch identification that connects the oil to its analysis report.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative bulk order: 20 tonnes of refined capelin body oil under 1504 20 90 00, invoiced at £50,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £54,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £54,000, so it is £10,800. 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: match the species, raw-material origin and processing records to the agreed capelin specification.

Documents: match the producer, batch, intended use and analysis report; check the applicable food or animal by-product import documents.

Laboratory: compare independent oxidation, fatty-acid and contaminant results with the agreed specification and applicable food limits.

Packing: check seals, leakage, container cleanliness, batch markings and storage records. Use the inspection guide to define sampling and release checks.

What goes wrong

A generic fish-oil analysis report does not establish that the delivered batch is capelin oil. Substituted species, undeclared blends, oxidation during storage and leaking drums can undermine an otherwise acceptable sample. Compare batch records and independent results before releasing the shipment.

Food, feed and technical grades are not interchangeable purchasing descriptions. An acceptable oxidation result does not establish food suitability or the correct import route. Resolve intended use, establishment approval and documents before dispatch, then compare arrival samples with retained pre-shipment samples.

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.