Sourcing dried longan from China
Plain dried longan has a candidate duty of 2%, suspended to 0% for eligible goods; mixtures can carry 6% to 8%. Food safety rules apply, including pesticide residue limits and sulphite declarations where required. Specify whole fruit or flesh only before requesting samples. Cambridge China Bridge sources dried longan.
Dried longan duty and organic controls
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 November 2026, heading 0813 covers dried fruit outside headings 0801 to 0806 and mixtures of nuts or dried fruit. Plain dried longan is a candidate for 0813 40 95 80: the China duty is 2%, with an autonomous suspension to 0%. Its suspension excludes mixtures, preparations and products made up of different components.
Relevant mixtures carry nominal duties of 6% or 8%. The 6% mixture line also displays a suspension with a footnote excluding mixtures, so do not assume relief applies. The supplied lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and attach an organic import control. Organic consignments from China into Great Britain need an inspection certificate for each consignment, issued by the exporter's control body.
Give your broker the ingredients, drying process and shell or seed status to confirm the commodity code. Use the wider dried fruit guide for other fruit and mixtures. Confirm the product’s VAT treatment with HMRC or your customs broker.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain dried longan, whole or flesh only, subject to classification | 0813 40 95 80 | 2% | None |
| Longan and other dried fruit mixtures, excluding prunes and heading 0801 to 0806 fruit | 0813 50 15 00 | 6% | None |
| Longan and dried fruit mixtures containing prunes | 0813 50 19 00 | 8% | None |
| Longan and nut mixtures without prunes, figs or separately listed nuts | 0813 50 91 80 | 8% | None |
Specify whole longan or seedless flesh
State whether you want whole dried fruit with shell and seed, peeled flesh with seed, or seedless flesh. Agree flesh colour, size grading, texture, moisture acceptance, broken pieces and shell or seed fragments. Describe the intended use, such as retail packs or catering ingredients, and retain an approved sample.
Ask the processor to declare any sulphur treatment, added sugar or other ingredients. Agree lot-specific pesticide residue and sulphur dioxide testing. Confirm applicable pesticide residue and contaminant limits, and sulphur dioxide allergen declaration requirements, with the relevant food authority.
For England and Wales, imported dried fruit must meet the same hygiene standards and safety procedures as food produced in Great Britain. Agree sealed inner packaging, storage instructions and batch identification with the supplier.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of plain dried longan flesh; confirm suspension eligibility under 0813 40 95 80, invoiced at £20,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,800. Duty at 2% is £436. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £22,236, so it is £4,447.20. Import taxes total £4,883.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £436 of duty. 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: open cartons across the lot and compare the shell, seed status, flesh colour and grading with the approved sample.
Condition: measure moisture against the agreed specification and check for mould, fermentation odour, insects and sticky clumps.
Foreign matter: inspect flesh for shell shards, seed fragments, stones and other material; record broken pieces against the contract.
Documents: match test reports and pack markings to the supplied lot; check sulphite declarations and, for organic goods, the consignment inspection certificate.
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What goes wrong
A sample of clean seedless flesh can become a bulk delivery with seeds, shell fragments or unevenly dried pieces. Excess moisture encourages mould and fermentation during storage, while excessive drying can leave hard flesh. Agree acceptance checks before production and inspect the packed lot before dispatch.
Appearance does not establish pesticide compliance or reveal undeclared sulphites. Keep batch testing separate from visual inspection. Organic claims also need consignment paperwork; confirm this before shipment rather than relying on the supplier's organic logo.
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 longan from China?
For candidate code 0813 40 95 80, the China duty is 2%, suspended to 0% for eligible goods. Relevant mixtures carry 6% or 8%; confirm classification and relief with your broker.
Can I buy seedless dried longan flesh?
Specify peeled, seedless flesh explicitly. Approve a sample and agree checks for retained seeds, shell fragments, broken pieces and moisture before ordering.
Do dried longan sulphites need declaring?
Confirm sulphur dioxide allergen declaration requirements with the relevant food authority. Ask for the treatment declaration and a test report matched to the supplied lot.
What paperwork does organic dried longan need?
For imports from China into Great Britain, each organic consignment needs an inspection certificate. It is issued by the exporter's control body. Confirm the paperwork before shipment.