Sourcing coconut stearin from China

Coconut stearin duty and classification

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 1513 covers coconut, palm kernel and babassu oils and their fractions, refined or not, but not chemically modified. For non-crude coconut stearin, the solid-fraction lines carry 12% in immediate packs not exceeding 1 kg and 10% in larger packs. The table also includes crude coconut-fraction alternatives: 12% in small packs and 6% otherwise, for non-technical use.

The selected lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. Organic import control is attached to both non-crude solid-fraction lines and the larger-pack crude line. Organic food from China entering Great Britain needs a certificate of inspection. Waste import control is attached to every selected line; ask your customs broker to confirm the shipment's requirements. For waste entering England under notification controls, the exporter must apply to the dispatch country's competent authority for consent.

Give your broker the composition, fractionation and refining records, intended use and immediate pack weight to confirm the commodity code. The crude rows are alternatives to investigate for genuinely crude material, not interchangeable codes for refined stearin. See the wider coconut and palm kernel oil guide for other products within this heading.

Specify the coconut stearin melting profile

Describe the product as the solid fraction of coconut oil. Ask the factory to state whether it is crude, refined, bleached or deodorised, and whether it contains other fats or additives. Specify food or technical use, fatty-acid composition, melting behaviour, solid fat content, free fatty acids, peroxide value, moisture, colour and odour.

Agree test methods and acceptance criteria with the supplier rather than accepting a generic stearin certificate. Trial the sample in your actual recipe or process, checking firmness, melting and texture after storage. Specify sealed packing, storage conditions and batch identification. For food use, imported material must meet general food safety requirements and must not be unsafe.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of refined coconut stearin in bulk packs under 1513 19 19 00, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £32,500. Duty at 10% is £3,250. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £35,750, so it is £7,150. Import taxes total £10,400; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £3,250 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: compare the batch analysis with the agreed coconut fatty-acid profile and check the declaration of added fats against the sample.

Performance: test melting behaviour and solid fat content against the approved sample using the same preparation and test methods.

Condition: check peroxide value, free fatty acids, moisture and odour; inspect arriving packs for leaks, broken seals and contamination.

Documents: match batch references across the analysis certificate, labels and packing list; check the organic inspection certificate where applicable. Arrange quality inspection around these checks.

What goes wrong

A supplier's stearin name can conceal a different source oil, a blend or chemically modified material. A sample may suit your process while the shipment has a different melting profile. Agree the composition and processing description before ordering, retain the approved sample and compare shipment samples against it.

Heat exposure, damaged seals and unsuitable storage can leave the fat oxidised or contaminated. Keep suspect batches separate while investigating. A generic analysis certificate cannot establish that the delivered lot meets your specification, and a supplier's organic claim cannot replace the required import inspection certificate.

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.