Sourcing dried oregano from China

Dried oregano 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 oregano, the relevant other-spice lines distinguish goods neither crushed nor ground from crushed or ground goods. The mixture rows apply to qualifying spice blends containing oregano, rather than pure oregano.

The supplied tariff extract records 0% duty for these Chinese-origin lines, no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension. It attaches import control of organic products. Organic spices need an inspection certificate for release as organic. The exporter’s control body issues that certificate; a company importing organic products must be based and certified in the UK.

Confirm the commodity code using the actual leaf preparation and, for blends, the full recipe. The dried thyme guide provides related coverage of the wider heading. Confirm with HMRC whether the exact culinary herb or spice qualifies for zero-rated VAT; check the product’s treatment using the import duty and VAT guide.

Specify oregano identity and leaf quality

Specify the botanical identity, growing origin, drying process and whether the order is leaf, rubbed leaf or powder. Agree leaf size, stalk and dust content, moisture, colour and aroma against a sealed approval sample. Ask the supplier to disclose any blending or treatment, and agree an authenticity test that can distinguish oregano from other leaf material.

Confirm food business registration requirements with your local authority. Have the relevant authority review the retail label requirements, including the product name, net weight, best-before date, storage information, business address and language. For blends, confirm ingredient-list and allergen-emphasis requirements. Confirm the applicable GB pesticide maximum residue levels with the relevant authority. Agree batch testing for residues and microbiology before shipment.

For an organic order, ask your organic control body to check the exporter’s eligibility and certificate arrangements before approving packaging. Herbs and spices do not normally need a health certificate; confirm the arrangements for the actual shipment with your customs broker.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order, not a quote: 5 tonnes of dried oregano, neither crushed nor ground 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 leaf material and aroma with the approval sample, and match the authenticity report to the shipment lot.

Condition: check stalks, dust, foreign leaves, insects, mould, moisture and colour against the agreed specification.

Testing: match pesticide residue and microbiology reports to the batch being shipped; arrange independent sampling where appropriate.

Packing: check sealed liners, bag weights, batch markings and retail artwork. Repeat condition checks on arrival and retain a sample. See quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A leaf-size specification alone can leave room for excess stalks, dust or substituted leaves. Powder makes visual identity checks harder. Build botanical identity and authenticity testing into the purchase specification rather than accepting a photograph or aroma sample as proof of the shipment’s composition.

Damp or damaged packing can leave oregano musty, while a generic laboratory certificate may describe a different batch. Compare the arrival sample with the approved sample and shipment reports. Hold suspect bags separately while the supplier and laboratory investigate.

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.