Sourcing dried hijiki seaweed from China

Zero duty, with a food-safety warning

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 1212 covers seaweeds and other algae alongside other vegetable products. The relevant dried seaweed lines carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no listed suspension. The food rows show forms sharing the same tariff line, rather than separate subheadings.

The tariff attaches an organic import control. For organic consignments from China entering Great Britain, obtain a GB certificate of inspection and confirm product eligibility with your approved UK organic control body. Organic paperwork does not resolve the hijiki consumption warning.

The food line describes goods fit for human consumption; its existence does not establish that your hijiki batch is safe. Confirm the intended use, processing and commodity code with your broker. For the wider heading, see our dried kombu kelp guide.

Specify hijiki identity and intended use

The Food Standards Agency has warned against eating hijiki, and its import guidance identifies arsenic concerns. Unsafe food must not be placed on the market. Before considering a food order, ask the Agency's chemical contaminants team and your local food enforcement authority to review the proposed product and safety evidence.

Specify the botanical identity, harvested part, whole or cut form, drying process, any washing or heat treatment, added ingredients and intended use. Agree moisture, foreign material and packaging specifications with the supplier. Request batch-specific testing that distinguishes inorganic arsenic from total arsenic. Agree the sampling and assessment approach through testing and certification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative only: 500 kg of dried hijiki for non-food material evaluation under 1212 29 00 90, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,400, so it is £680. 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 supplied seaweed and botanical documentation with the agreed specification; investigate mixed species or substituted material.

Laboratory evidence: match the sampled batch to the shipment and check whether the report measures inorganic arsenic or only total arsenic.

Condition: check for damp material, mould, unusual odour, sand, shell fragments and excessive broken pieces.

Packaging: check liners, seals, batch identification and agreement between cartons, bags and documents; keep arrival samples separate from saleable stock pending assessment.

What goes wrong

A supplier's description of hijiki as edible, organic or washed can be mistaken for evidence of food safety. A generic heavy-metal report may cover another batch or omit inorganic arsenic. Treat these as unresolved questions, and do not release a proposed food batch until its safety has been assessed.

Damp packing, damaged liners, mixed seaweed and excessive debris can also undermine the agreed specification. Record defects on arrival and retain batch-linked samples. This guide does not establish a blanket import ban on Chinese hijiki; equally, zero duty provides no permission to sell unsafe food.

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.