Sourcing dried dill from China

Dried dill duty and organic controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 0910 covers ginger, saffron, turmeric, thyme, bay leaves, curry and other spices. For dried dill leaves, distinguish goods neither crushed nor ground from crushed or ground goods. The mixture rows concern qualifying spice mixtures containing dill, rather than plain dill. See the dried basil guide for the wider heading.

The relevant lines carry 0% duty on goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension recorded. The tariff attaches an organic-products import control. Organic dill needs an inspection certificate for release as organic; the exporter’s control body issues it in the country of export. Confirm the certificate and clearance arrangements with your customs broker before shipping.

Confirm the commodity code using the plant part, processing and full recipe. Do not use the plain-leaf description for dill seed or assume every dill seasoning belongs to a spice-mixture line. Confirm the exact product's VAT treatment with HMRC or your customs broker, using the import duty and VAT guide to help plan the calculation.

Specify dill leaves, stems and aroma

State that you want dried dill leaves for culinary use. Agree leaf cut, stem allowance, fines, colour, aroma, moisture limit and permitted foreign matter. Approve a sealed sample and identify whether the supplier uses steam treatment or another process. Specify sealed liners and agree how the product will be stored after opening.

Confirm food business registration, traceability and applicable pesticide residue limits with the relevant food authority. Agree batch testing for residues and microbiology with an accredited laboratory through testing and certification. For retail packs, settle the English product name, net weight, best-before date, storage information and UK business address before printing.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of dried dill leaves for a food wholesaler under 0910 99 91 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £18,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £18,000, so it is £3,600. 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 leaves and aroma with the approved sample; check for seeds, coarse stems and other plant material.

Condition: check colour, moisture, fines, insects, mould and musty odours against the agreed specification.

Batch evidence: match lot numbers to pesticide residue and microbiology reports; keep a sealed sample from the inspected lot.

Packing: check liner seals, bag damage, net weights and labels on arrival. Use the inspection guide to agree sampling before dispatch.

What goes wrong

Too much stem or fine dust changes the appearance and portioning of dried dill. Weak aroma can leave an acceptable-looking sample unsuitable for the buyer’s recipe. Compare the production lot with the approved sample, including a trial in the intended food.

Damp or damaged bags can leave the herbs clumped or musty. Appearance cannot establish pesticide residue or microbiological compliance. Review the actual batch reports before dispatch and check the shipment again on arrival. Herbs and spices do not normally need a health certificate, but this does not replace food-safety checks or organic paperwork.

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.