Sourcing fermented plum wine from China
Fermented plum wine from China carries UK customs duty of £4.80 to £16.00 per hectolitre, depending on whether it is sparkling and the container capacity. Alcohol Duty is separate; confirm strength-labelling requirements with the relevant food authority. Confirm the fermentation method before choosing the code. Cambridge China Bridge sources fermented plum wine.
Volume-based customs duty, plus Alcohol Duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 2206 covers other fermented beverages and certain beverage mixtures. For fermented plum wine, the relevant supplied lines are sparkling other beverages and still other beverages split by container capacity. This guide concerns fermentation-based plum wine; obtain the recipe and production process before classifying a product sold simply as plum wine. See the wider fermented drinks guide.
For goods from China, sparkling fermented plum wine carries £16.00 per hectolitre. Still wine in containers holding 2 litres or less carries £6.40 per hectolitre; larger containers carry £4.80 per hectolitre. The supplied lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no customs-duty suspension. These are volume-based duties, so the supplied data cannot support a percentage-duty worked example. Only the relevant tariff lines are listed.
The tariff attaches an organic import control. Confirm inspection-certificate requirements for products imported as organic with your control body; the exporter’s control body issues the certificate. Confirm the China-to-Great-Britain organic arrangements with your customs broker before shipment. Alcohol imports become liable for excise duty on arrival; ask HMRC or your customs broker whether a duty-suspension route is available for your shipment. Confirm the commodity code using the recipe, process, sparkling status and container capacity.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparkling fermented plum wine | 2206 00 39 00 | £16.00 per hl | None |
| Still fermented plum wine, containers holding 2 litres or less | 2206 00 59 00 | £6.40 per hl | None |
| Still fermented plum wine, containers holding more than 2 litres | 2206 00 89 00 | £4.80 per hl | None |
Specify the fermentation and plum flavour
Ask the factory to describe how the alcohol is produced and identify any added spirit. Specify the plum raw material, added sugar, flavourings, preservatives, alcoholic strength, sweetness, acidity, colour and acceptable sediment. Agree a reference sample and obtain batch test results rather than relying on the product name.
Specify still or sparkling presentation, container capacity, closure, fill level, storage conditions and transport packaging. Prepare label artwork showing the product name, net quantity, business details and alcoholic strength where required. Allergen information remains necessary. UK businesses wholesaling alcohol should confirm with HMRC whether approval under the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme is required and whether an exclusion applies.
Inspection checklist
Liquid: compare plum aroma, sweetness, acidity, colour and sediment with the approved sample; investigate unexpected cloudiness or fizz.
Laboratory: compare measured alcoholic strength and the agreed composition tests with the specification and batch report.
Packaging: inspect bottles for cracks, closures for leakage, fill levels for consistency and cartons for wetting or broken glass.
Documents: match batch identification, label artwork and test reports to the shipment; check organic inspection paperwork when applicable. Use the quality inspection guide to define the inspection scope.
What goes wrong
A product called plum wine may have a production process different from the buyer’s brief. Added spirit, a changed recipe or a different container capacity can undermine the classification assumptions. Obtain the process description and settle classification before approving packaging.
Watch for unexpected fermentation in the bottle, changing sweetness, sediment outside the agreed specification and leaking closures. Compare arrival samples with retained factory samples. Budget for Alcohol Duty separately from customs duty and use the duty and VAT guide when checking landed costs.
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 fermented plum wine from China?
The supplied tariff data shows £16.00 per hectolitre for sparkling wine, £6.40 for still wine in containers holding 2 litres or less, and £4.80 for larger still-wine containers. Alcohol Duty is separate.
Is fermented plum wine the same as plum liqueur?
Do not classify from the name alone. Obtain the recipe and production process, including whether spirit is added, and ask your customs broker to confirm the code.
What paperwork does organic plum wine need?
Confirm inspection-certificate requirements for products imported as organic with your control body. The certificate is issued by the exporter’s control body. Confirm the China-to-Great-Britain arrangements with your broker before shipment.
What should I check before accepting the shipment?
Check alcoholic strength, flavour, sweetness, sediment, unexpected fizz, bottle damage and leaking closures. Match labels and batch reports to the goods, and investigate differences from the approved sample.