Sourcing Dried Borlotti Beans from China
Dried borlotti beans from China for cooking carry 0% UK duty across the presentations covered here, with no listed trade remedy. Confirm applicable pesticide residue limits with the relevant food authority, and organic imports into Great Britain require an inspection certificate. Cambridge China Bridge sources dried borlotti beans.
Zero duty on dried borlotti beans
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 0713 covers dried shelled leguminous vegetables, whether or not skinned or split. Dried borlotti beans for cooking fall within the kidney-bean line, 0713 33 90 00. The table shows different presentations of that same line rather than separate tariff classifications. Cooked or canned beans are preparations of chapter 20.
The supplied tariff record lists 0% duty for goods from China, no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension. It attaches an organic-products import control. Organic beans imported from China into Great Britain require a Great Britain certificate of inspection. A company importing organic products must be based and certified in the UK. Confirm the consignment paperwork with your customs broker before shipment.
Confirm the species, dried condition and cooking use through finding your commodity code. For the wider bean category, see dried kidney beans. Confirm the VAT treatment of dried pulses sold as food with HMRC or your customs broker; see UK import duty and VAT for the calculation method.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried whole borlotti beans for cooking, bulk bags | 0713 33 90 00 | 0% | None |
Specify the borlotti variety and cooking quality
Ask the supplier to identify the borlotti variety and provide a representative sample. Agree the cream background and red mottling, bean size, whole or split form, moisture and tolerances for damaged beans, foreign matter and other varieties. State that the beans are for cooking. Specify bulk bags or retail packs and whether organic certification is part of the order.
Cook the approval sample using a recorded soaking and cooking method. Compare tenderness, skin splitting, texture and the proportion of beans that remain hard. Keep the approved sample for shipment comparison. Confirm applicable GB pesticide maximum residue levels with the relevant food authority. Agree batch testing and match reports to the lots supplied. Ask the relevant food authority to confirm retail labelling requirements for the food name, net weight, storage instructions, business address and English-language information.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of dried borlotti beans for a food wholesaler under 0713 33 90 00, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £26,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £26,500, so it is £5,300. 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 and grade: compare dry beans with the approved sample for mottling, size, mixed varieties, splits, shrivelling and discolouration.
Moisture and pests: sample across bags, check moisture against the contract and look for mould, musty smells, live insects and exit holes.
Cleaning and cooking: examine samples for stones, soil and other seeds, then repeat the agreed cooking test to check tenderness and uneven cooking.
Packaging and records: check bag cleanliness, seals and net weight. Match lot markings to invoices and test reports, and check the organic inspection certificate where applicable. Agree the sampling approach through quality inspection.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
A dry sample can look acceptable while the cooked beans vary in tenderness. Mixed sizes or varieties make this harder to spot before shipment. Write the cooking comparison into the purchase specification rather than accepting a photograph of mottled beans as evidence of the agreed product.
Excess moisture can cause mould during transport, and hidden insect infestation can become visible on arrival. Keep suspect bags apart while the lot is assessed. Organic orders also fail when buyers treat a supplier's certificate as the complete import file; confirm the Great Britain inspection-certificate requirement before loading.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on dried borlotti beans from China?
The supplied tariff record lists 0% for cooking beans under 0713 33 90 00, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension.
Do organic borlotti beans need an import certificate?
Yes. Organic beans from China imported into Great Britain require a Great Britain certificate of inspection. The importing company must also be based and certified in the UK.
What should I test before ordering borlotti beans?
Check variety, size, moisture, damaged beans, foreign matter and insects. Cook a representative sample using an agreed method, and arrange batch pesticide residue testing.
How do I check borlotti beans when they arrive?
Sample across bags for moisture, mould, insects, stones and mixed beans. Check weights and lot records, then compare cooking performance with the approved sample.