Sourcing egg products from China
Edible egg products from China carry UK duty of £29.00 to £119.00 per 100kg; lines unfit for human consumption carry 0%. For Great Britain, check country and factory approval, health certification and veterinary entry arrangements before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources egg products.
Weight-based duty on edible egg products
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, heading 0408 covers birds’ eggs without shell and egg yolks, fresh, dried, steamed, boiled, moulded, frozen or otherwise preserved, including products with added sugar or other sweetening matter.
For goods from China, edible liquid yolks carry £51.00 per 100kg, other edible yolks including frozen £55.00, dried edible yolks £119.00, other dried edible eggs £114.00 and other edible preserved eggs £29.00 per 100kg. Lines unfit for human consumption carry 0%. The supplied tariff records show no anti-dumping or countervailing measures and no suspensions; every line carries veterinary and organic import controls.
Confirm the commodity code from the composition, preservation method and fitness for human consumption. For edible goods entering Great Britain, verify country eligibility and factory approval, obtain the appropriate health certificate, pre-notify through IPAFFS and arrange entry through an approved border control post. Ask your broker to confirm the tariff’s veterinary documentation and additional China safeguard requirements. Organic consignments from China also need an inspection certificate.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried egg yolks for human consumption | 0408 11 80 00 | £119.00 per 100 kg | None |
| Liquid egg yolks for human consumption | 0408 19 81 00 | £51.00 per 100 kg | None |
| Other egg yolks for human consumption, including frozen | 0408 19 89 00 | £55.00 per 100 kg | None |
| Other dried eggs without shell for human consumption | 0408 91 80 00 | £114.00 per 100 kg | None |
| Other preserved eggs without shell for human consumption | 0408 99 80 00 | £29.00 per 100 kg | None |
| Dried egg yolks unfit for human consumption | 0408 11 20 00 | 0% | None |
Specify yolk content, treatment and intended use
State whether you need yolk or whole egg, dried powder, liquid or frozen material, the bird species and the intended food or industrial use. Agree solids, moisture, fat, colour, added salt or sugar, heat treatment, storage conditions and remaining shelf life. Test a production sample in your actual recipe for emulsification, foaming or baking performance.
For edible imports into Great Britain, country eligibility includes the relevant residue-control approval. Check the actual manufacturing premises before paying a deposit. Agree batch testing for microbiological quality and residues with your laboratory. For retail prepacked food in England and Wales, provide an ingredients list and emphasise allergens whenever they appear in that list.
The worked example uses the percentage-duty line for dried yolks unfit for human consumption. Its values are illustrative and it is an industrial order, not an edible ingredient order. Confirm its import eligibility and veterinary requirements with your broker before ordering.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small industrial order of dried egg yolks unfit for human consumption; confirm import eligibility before ordering under 0408 11 20 00, invoiced at £3,500 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £7,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,000, so it is £1,400. 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: match yolk or whole-egg composition, preservation method and added ingredients to the purchase specification and batch report.
Condition: check powder for moisture uptake and caking, liquid packs for leaks, and frozen packs for signs of thawing; compare temperature records with the agreed storage specification.
Documents: match factory identity, batch marks and shipment descriptions to the health certificate and laboratory reports; investigate any mismatch before accepting the lot.
Performance: compare colour, odour, dispersibility and recipe results with the approved sample; retain sealed samples from the delivered batch.
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What goes wrong
A powder can match the description but fail in a bakery or mayonnaise recipe because its solids, yolk content or heat treatment differs from the sample. Moisture entering a damaged liner causes caking; interrupted cooling can leave liquid or frozen stock outside the agreed specification. Set acceptance criteria before shipment and check the delivered batch.
A supplier’s export history does not establish that its premises are approved for your shipment. Official guidance warns that an unlisted plant can lead to the consignment being held, rejected, re-exported or destroyed. Keep food and industrial specifications separate, and ask your customs broker to confirm the veterinary requirements for goods unfit for human consumption.
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 egg products from China?
Edible lines carry £29.00 to £119.00 per 100kg, depending on form and composition. Lines unfit for human consumption carry 0%. The supplied records show no anti-dumping or countervailing measures.
Can I order egg powder from any Chinese factory?
For edible imports into Great Britain, the country must be eligible and the manufacturing establishment must be approved. Check the exact premises and health certification before ordering.
Do organic egg products need extra import documents?
Yes. Organic food consignments from China entering Great Britain need an inspection certificate. Check the exporter’s control body and country on the organic registers, and arrange UK organic importer certification.
What should I test before buying egg powder?
Agree moisture, solids, fat, colour, microbiological and residue testing. Trial the production sample in your recipe, then compare delivered batches for dispersibility, emulsification or baking performance.