Sourcing dried mango from China

Dried mango duty and organic controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0804 covers dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, guavas, mangoes and mangosteens, fresh or dried. The mango line 0804 50 00 40 carries 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension listed.

The tariff attaches an organic import control. Confirm inspection certificate requirements for each consignment of organic dried mango from China entering Great Britain with your organic control body or customs broker. The exporter’s control body issues the certificate in the country of export. Check the paperwork before shipment.

The table repeats the mango code for different plain dried forms; these are not separate tariff lines. Sugared or candied fruit belongs in chapter 20, so confirm the recipe and processing through finding your commodity code. See dates and tropical fruit for the wider heading.

Specify mango texture, ingredients and drying

Agree the mango variety, slice or strip dimensions, colour, chewiness, acceptable broken pieces and moisture specification against an approved sample. State whether sugar, sulphur dioxide or other preservatives are added. Specify the drying method, pack format, liner, seal and storage conditions.

Confirm applicable pesticide residue and contaminant limits for dried mango, including how concentration during drying is treated, with the relevant food authority. Ask for batch-specific laboratory results for pesticide residues and sulphur dioxide. For prepacked mango, confirm whether sulphites require allergen declaration; any declarable allergens must be clearly labelled in the ingredients list.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 5 tonnes of plain dried mango slices; illustrative order only under 0804 50 00 40, 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 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £21,800, so it is £4,360. 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

Fruit: compare colour, thickness, chewiness and broken pieces with the approved sample; look for peel, stone fragments and foreign matter.

Condition: measure moisture against the contract; check for mould, fermentation odours, insects and clumped pieces.

Documents: match laboratory reports to the supplied batch and check sulphite declarations; verify the inspection certificate where sold as organic.

Packaging: check liner integrity, seals, net weight and batch identification on arrival; examine cartons for dampness. Use quality inspection explained to agree sampling.

What goes wrong

A sample may be soft and evenly coloured while the shipment contains tough edges, thick wet centres or excess broken fruit. Poor drying and leaking liners can leave mango sticky, fermented or mouldy. Record arrival defects before mixing stock or repacking.

Undeclared sulphites, pesticide residue failures and missing organic paperwork can undermine the intended sale. Check the actual production batch rather than accepting a report for another shipment. Agree testing and certification before dispatch.

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.