Sourcing cinnamon and cassia from China

0% duty and zero-rated VAT

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 0906 covers cinnamon and cinnamon-tree flowers. All 3 lines carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure: Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume) neither crushed nor ground, other cinnamon (which includes cassia) neither crushed nor ground, and crushed or ground cinnamon.

VAT Notice 701/14 zero-rates spices, so import VAT is normally nil. Other spices are covered in our spices guide; confirm the commodity code.

Coumarin and contaminants

Annex III Part B of retained Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 sets maximum coumarin levels in compound foods where cinnamon is used: 50 mg/kg in traditional or seasonal bakery ware with a reference to cinnamon in the labelling, 20 mg/kg in breakfast cereals including muesli, 15 mg/kg in other fine bakery ware and 5 mg/kg in desserts. Cassia carries far more coumarin than Ceylon cinnamon, so manufacturers ask for coumarin results per lot.

Spices must also meet the contaminant limits of retained Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 that apply to them, so ask for a residue and contaminant screen from an accredited laboratory.

Specifying cinnamon and cassia

Specify species (cassia or Ceylon), form (whole sticks, cut, broken, ground and mesh size), grade by bark thickness and length, volatile oil content, moisture, coumarin, colour, microbiology for ground product, and packing in lined bags or cartons.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 12 tonnes of cassia sticks, commodity code 0906 19 00 00, bought for £30,000 free on board with £2,200 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £32,200. Duty is 0%, and spices are zero-rated under VAT Notice 701/14, so no import VAT is due; the border costs are clearance, port and any sampling charges. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.

Inspection checklist

Quality: check volatile oil, moisture and coumarin on the certificate of analysis, and test a sample in the UK for coumarin and microbiology.

Physical: check stick length and thickness, broken pieces, mould, insects and foreign matter.

Ground product: check for adulteration and mesh size, and that packs are sealed and labelled with lot and dates.

What goes wrong

Cinnamon orders fail on moisture, mould and mislabelling. Damp bark goes mouldy in the container, cassia is sold as Ceylon cinnamon, ground product is bulked with other material, and coumarin is not declared for food makers who need it.

Test lots before shipping and specify species in the contract. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources cassia and cinnamon for UK spice packers and food manufacturers, checking the processor's drying and testing first. See factory verification.