Sourcing dog biscuits from China

Duty follows starch, milk and retail packaging

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 2309 covers preparations used in animal feeding. Dog biscuits packed for retail sale fall within its dog or cat food branches. The recipe determines the applicable line; a biscuit shape or flavour name does not establish the code.

The supplied retail lines range from 0% to £793 per 1,000 kg. Biscuits with more than 30% starch and less than 10% milk products carry £85 per 1,000 kg; recipes without starch or milk products carry 8%. These retail lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. They carry veterinary and organic import controls; the starch and milk branches also carry a seal-product control.

For organic imports from China into Great Britain, obtain a certificate of inspection for each consignment and check the exporter’s control body and export country against the organic registers. Seal products for sale require the indigenous-community exemption and a seal catch certificate. Ask your broker to confirm applicability to the recipe. Confirm the commodity code using ingredient percentages and retail packaging details. For wider heading coverage, see edible dog dental chews.

Specify the biscuit recipe and baked texture

Fix the ingredient list, animal species and ingredient origins, starch and milk product percentages, additives and declared analytical constituents. Agree biscuit size, thickness, hardness, crumb allowance, moisture, water activity, pack weight and shelf life against retained samples. State whether the biscuits are complementary treats or complete food.

For biscuits containing animal products, confirm that the country and producing establishment are approved for the product before ordering. Obtain the appropriate health certificate, confirm IPAFFS pre-notification requirements with APHA and arrange entry through an approved border control post. Ask APHA to confirm the Chinese recipe and factory’s eligibility where it is unclear.

Confirm with the relevant authority the required form of pet food labels covering food type, composition, analytical constituents and additives. Also confirm applicable Great Britain feed-additive authorisation and feed-business registration requirements. Approve artwork against the fixed recipe and laboratory analysis.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 1,000 kg of retail dog biscuits with starch up to 10% and milk products below 10% under 2309 10 11 00, invoiced at £3,500 free on board, with £2,680 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,180. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,180, so it is £1,236. 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

Recipe and analysis: compare batch analysis with the approved recipe and label, including starch, milk products, protein, fat, moisture and ash.

Bake and condition: compare size, thickness, hardness and crumbs with retained samples; check for mould, insects, unusual odours and damp cartons on arrival.

Microbiology: for processed pet food containing animal products, obtain evidence of random sampling before dispatch for salmonella and enterobacteriaceae; agree contaminant testing for cereal ingredients.

Packs and records: check seals, net weight, batch codes and best-before dates; match cartons to laboratory reports and applicable import documents.

What goes wrong

Changing flour, milk powder or flavour coatings can alter starch or milk content and invalidate the chosen tariff line. Uneven baking leaves soft centres; rough handling turns brittle biscuits into crumbs. Moisture entering through poor seals can cause mould. Agree the recipe, texture and packaging checks before production, then compare arrival samples with the retained batch samples.

An acceptable sample does not establish import eligibility. A factory missing from the appropriate approved list can leave animal-product biscuits held at the border and potentially rejected. Confirm factory status and paperwork before dispatch, and hold suspect or damaged stock apart while investigating.

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.