Sourcing dried pasilla chillies from China

Whole pasilla: 0%; ground pasilla: suspension

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 2 October 2026, heading 0904 covers pepper and dried, crushed or ground Capsicum and Pimenta fruit. Whole dried pasilla normally falls under 0904 21 90 20 at 0% for goods from China. Crushed or ground pasilla falls under 0904 22 00 19: the base duty is 4%, with a 0% suspension that excludes mixtures and preparations. The snapshot lists no trade remedies on these lines.

The tariff attaches an organic-products import control. Organic pasilla from China needs an inspection certificate; the exporter’s control body issues it. Confirm the Great Britain paperwork with your customs broker and organic control body before shipment. Separately, check the current high-risk food list for the product and origin before booking and ask the relevant food authority or customs broker to confirm any pre-notification and border-check requirements.

Confirm the commodity code using the variety, whole or ground form and ingredients. The sweet-pepper table rows are classification comparisons, rather than default pasilla codes. For wider heading coverage, see the dried ancho chillies guide. Confirm the VAT treatment of culinary dried spices with HMRC or your customs broker; see UK import duty and VAT.

Specify pasilla identity and drying

Ask for dried chilaca chillies sold as pasilla, with variety records and an approved whole-pod sample. Agree the dark colour, elongated shape, aroma and heat profile against that sample. Record where the chillies were grown and where they were dried and packed; dispatch from China alone does not establish growing origin.

Specify whole pods, flakes or powder, stalk and seed content, acceptable breakage, moisture, foreign matter and packaging. State whether any ingredients are added and ask the processor to disclose drying, sterilisation and irradiation treatments. Confirm retail labelling requirements with the relevant food authority, including the food name, net quantity and business address, and ask it to confirm any labelling and facility-approval requirements for irradiated spices.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of whole dried pasilla chillies for a spice wholesaler under 0904 21 90 20, invoiced at £15,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £16,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £16,500, so it is £3,300. 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 pods with the approved pasilla sample and variety records; check for substituted chillies and mixed varieties.

Condition: check moisture, mould, insect damage, stalks, stones and breakage; inspect inner bags and cartons for damp or failed seals.

Batch testing: match lot numbers to laboratory reports for aflatoxins, ochratoxin, pesticide residues and Salmonella; include illegal-dye screening for flakes and powder.

Packing: check net weight, food labels and treatment declarations against the agreed artwork; retain a sealed sample from each lot. Agree sampling through testing and certification.

What goes wrong

A supplier may offer another dark dried chilli as pasilla. Colour alone is a weak identity check, particularly after grinding. Compare whole-pod samples and cooking results before approving powder, and keep the variety and flavour specification in the purchase order.

Damp drying or storage can cause mould and mycotoxin failures, while crushed products can conceal excess stalks or substituted material. Separate suspect stock on arrival and investigate the batch reports and retained samples before releasing it. A clean-looking pod is not a substitute for contaminant testing.

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.