Sourcing dried astragalus root from China

Dried roots: duty and import controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 1211 covers plants and plant parts used primarily in pharmacy, perfumery or similar purposes, including dried, cut and powdered material. The relevant residual line, 1211 90 86 90, carries 0% duty from China. The supplied record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table shows different forms under the same tariff line.

The line attaches CITES, Home Office controlled-drug and organic import controls. CITES permits concern listed species; controlled drugs or precursor chemicals need an import licence. These flags do not establish that an astragalus lot needs either permission. Confirm applicability with your customs broker using its botanical identity and composition. Organic food from China needs a Great Britain certificate of inspection for each consignment and checks against the non-UK organic registers.

Confirm the actual product, processing and intended use through finding your commodity code. Do not apply this root classification automatically to extracts, mixtures or finished supplements. See the ginseng and medicinal herbs guide for the wider heading and UK import duty and VAT for the calculation process.

Specify the root, preparation and intended use

Write the agreed botanical name and root part into the purchase specification. Choose whole roots, slices, cut pieces or root powder, and retain an approved reference sample. Specify dimensions or powder fineness, moisture acceptance, foreign matter and packaging. Ask the processor to declare sulphur fumigation, other treatments and any added ingredients; distinguish plain dried root from honey-treated material.

Decide whether the purchase is for food, supplements or medicinal manufacture before approving labels. Assess novel-food status for the exact root preparation and intended food use; novel foods need authorisation before sale in Great Britain. Confirm with the MHRA whether the proposed product and medicinal claims require herbal registration or marketing authorisation. Arrange testing and certification support around the intended use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 500 kg of whole dried astragalus root; illustrative order and values under 1211 90 86 90, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £30,900. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £30,900, so it is £6,180. 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

Identity: compare the delivered roots or slices with the retained sample and agreed botanical name. Use laboratory identity examination where appearance is inconclusive, especially for powder.

Condition: inspect for mould, insects, soil, woody foreign matter and unusual odour. Measure moisture and check slice consistency, broken material and powder caking against the specification.

Contamination: commission batch-specific testing for pesticide residues, heavy metals, sulphite and aflatoxins as appropriate to the intended use. Match the report and laboratory sample to the supplied lot.

Packing and documents: check sealed liners, dry cartons, batch identification and agreement between labels, invoice and test reports. For organic imports, confirm the certificate of inspection with the exporter's control body before dispatch.

What goes wrong

The common name alone leaves room for substituted roots, mixed species or a different preparation. Powder hides identity defects; uneven slices and excessive fragments make subsequent processing inconsistent. Damp packing encourages mould, while undeclared sulphur treatment can create a contamination dispute. Agree rejection criteria and sampling arrangements before production.

A supplier's description of astragalus as a traditional food or herb does not settle the intended UK sales route. Establish the food-status or medicine route before printing claims. Resolve the tariff control flags before dispatch, and keep arrival stock separate until its identity, condition and batch evidence have been checked.

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.