Sourcing chilled sea bass from China

14% on the supplied sea bass line

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, chilled sea bass of Dicentrarchus species under 0302 84 90 00 carried 14% duty from China. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension is recorded for this line. Heading 0302 covers fresh or chilled fish, excluding fillets and other fish meat. The table shows buying forms under the same supplied tariff line.

The tariff attaches veterinary, illegal fishing and organic import controls. For Great Britain, check country and establishment approval, arrange the applicable health documentation, pre-notify through the import notification system and agree the designated border control post with your customs broker or port health authority. Ask them to confirm catch-certificate requirements for wild-caught fish, any exemption for aquaculture obtained from fry or larvae, and whether organic consignments from China need a certificate of inspection.

Confirm the scientific species and preparation with your broker using our commodity code guide. Do not select the Dicentrarchus line from the supplier's English name alone. Ask the broker to confirm the veterinary entry document and any additional requirements for the proposed consignment. For the wider fresh and chilled fish heading, see our fresh turbot guide.

Specify species, dressing and arrival condition

Ask for the scientific species name, farmed or wild origin, harvest location, individual fish weight range and whole or gutted presentation. State whether scales and gills are removed. Agree whether grading is measured before or after gutting, and specify fish weight separately from ice and packaging.

Agree harvest and packing records, insulated packaging, drainage, temperature monitoring and remaining shelf life on arrival. For farmed Chinese fish, ask port health to confirm the applicable residue-testing and official declaration requirements before shipment. If fish was previously frozen and defrosted, this must be stated on the label.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative hypothetical order: 2 tonnes of chilled whole sea bass under 0302 84 90 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £20,000. Duty at 14% is £2,800. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £22,800, so it is £4,560. Import taxes total £7,360; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,800 of duty. 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 scientific species, farm or catch origin and batch references across the fish, cartons and shipping documents.

Grade and yield: weigh sampled fish against the agreed dressed grade, check gutting and scaling, and weigh the fish separately from ice.

Condition: record arrival temperature, review the transit logger and inspect eyes, gills, odour, flesh firmness and belly damage against the agreed acceptance criteria.

Packs and documents: check liners, drainage, leaks, batch markings and certificate descriptions before release. Use our inspection guide to plan the checks.

What goes wrong

A supplier's sea bass name can conceal a species mismatch. A quotation based on whole-fish weight can also be mistaken for gutted weight. Put the scientific name, dressing and weighing method in the purchase specification before comparing offers.

Warm handling, crushed cartons and poor drainage can leave fish soft, bruised or sitting in meltwater. Border delays also consume the remaining shelf life. Review the route and documents before dispatch, then record arrival condition before accepting the batch.

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.