Sourcing Castor Seeds from China

Castor-seed duty and import checks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 1207 covers other oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, whether or not broken. Castor oil seeds fall under 1207 30 00 00. The supplied facts contain only this castor-seed line, so the table has a single entry. For another product within the heading, see tung nuts.

Goods from China carry 0% duty. The supplied tariff snapshot lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for this line. It attaches an organic import control. Before ordering organic seeds from China, ask your customs broker and organic control body to confirm the inspection certificate and certification requirements for the intended use. Government guidance identifies the exporter’s control body as the issuer of the organic inspection certificate.

Give your broker the seed identity, condition and intended use, then confirm the commodity code. For planting stock, confirm the applicable plant-health risk category before dispatch. Government guidance says risk categorisations may change. This guide addresses Great Britain; obtain destination-specific advice for other markets.

Specify castor seeds for the intended process

Identify the species as Ricinus communis and state whether the purchase is for industrial processing or planting. For processing stock, agree moisture, oil content, foreign matter, damaged seeds and the sampling method. Ask the supplier to identify the grower or collection source, cleaning site and packing site rather than treating a seed trader as the producer.

Castor seeds are associated with ricin, a potent toxin. Keep procurement and handling separate from edible-seed purchasing. Agree sealed packaging, identification, storage and handling arrangements with the receiving operator. For planting stock, specify the variety and request a germination report linked to the supplied batch.

The Home Office is consulting on bringing the relevant plant materials within the regulated-poisons framework. Treat this as a proposal and recheck the position before offering castor seeds for sale.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative trial order: 500 kg of castor seeds for industrial processing under 1207 30 00 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,400, so it is £680. 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: compare the supplied seeds with the approved sample and match the batch identification to the supplier’s records.

Condition: sample across bags for moisture, mould, insect damage, broken seeds, husks, stones and other seeds.

Performance: match moisture and oil-content results to the processing specification; match germination evidence to the batch when buying planting stock.

Packing: check bag seals, liners, batch markings and signs of water entry; record discrepancies before accepting the delivery.

What goes wrong

A sample can conceal uneven bulk stock. Wet bags, excess husk and stones, mixed batches or damaged seeds can make the delivery unsuitable for the agreed process. Define acceptance criteria and retain a sealed reference sample before shipment.

Paperwork can describe generic oil seeds while the order specifies castor seeds, or carry an organic claim without the documents your broker expects. Resolve identity, intended use and organic status before dispatch. Hold disputed stock separately while the supplier and receiving operator investigate.

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.