Sourcing citrus fruit and pomelos from China

Rates and the 2026 suspensions

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, grapefruit and pomelos of heading 0805 40 carried 0% on goods from China. Oranges carry 2% or 12% by type, mandarins, satsumas, tangerines and clementines 16%, and lemons 6%, but suspensions that started on 21 June 2026 take all of these to 0% until 31 December 2028. Wilkings, minneolas and other citrus hybrids of 0805 29 stay at 16%, and limes at 12%. None has an anti-dumping measure.

Canned mandarin segments are prepared fruit, covered in our peanuts and canned fruit guide, and dried peel in our dried fruit guide. Confirm the commodity code for each variety, because the hybrid lines are not suspended.

Plant health and marketing standards

Citrus fruit from China needs a phytosanitary certificate from the Chinese plant protection authority, pre-notification before arrival and plant health checks, as set out in the [GOV.UK guidance on importing plants and plant products](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/import-plants-and-plant-products-from-non-eu-countries-to-great-britain). Leaves and stalks attached to the fruit raise the plant health requirements, so agree with the packer that fruit is shipped without leaves.

Fresh citrus must also meet the specific marketing standard for citrus fruit, which covers class, minimum size and maturity, and is checked by the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate; see the [GOV.UK guidance on marketing standards for fresh fruit and vegetables](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/comply-with-marketing-standards-for-fresh-fruit-and-vegetables). Post-harvest fungicides and waxes must stay within the maximum residue levels of retained Regulation (EC) No 396/2005.

Worked duty example

Take a hypothetical reefer of 20 tonnes of fresh mandarins under 0805 21 90 11: £18,000 free on board plus £4,500 of refrigerated freight and insurance gives a customs value of £22,500. While the suspension lasts the duty is nil, where before 21 June 2026 it would have been 16%, or £3,600. Fresh fruit is zero-rated food for VAT under [Notice 701/14](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-products-and-vat-notice-70114), so no import VAT is due. The same load of minneolas would still pay £3,600 of duty. Step by step: UK import duty and VAT.

What goes wrong

Citrus loads fail on temperature, decay and paperwork. Reefer settings that are too cold cause chilling injury and pitting, while warm spells let green and blue mould spread from a few damaged fruit; pomelos lose weight and the peel softens on a long voyage; fruit is under the minimum size or maturity for its class; and a missing or mismatched phytosanitary certificate holds the whole container at the port.

Agree the reefer set point and ventilation with the packer and ask for the temperature log, inspect a sample at packing for size, colour, sugar-to-acid ratio, decay and blemishes against the class, test residues before loading, check that the phytosanitary certificate matches the lot, and inspect again on arrival before the fruit goes to customers.

Cambridge China Bridge sources pomelos, mandarins and other citrus for importers, wholesalers and processors, including regular reefer programmes through the season. See our container programmes.