Sourcing fish oil from China
Fish oil from China pays 0% UK duty as bulk body oil or most fish-liver oils, 2% for fish-liver oil of 2,500 IU vitamin A per gram or less, and 10% for solid fractions. No anti-dumping applies. Oil for human consumption must meet the marine-oil dioxin and PCB limits and come from an approved establishment; feed-grade oil follows the animal by-products rules.
Refined fish body oil, fish-liver oil and fish oil fractions from China: 0% UK duty on bulk oil, 10% on solid fractions. Dioxin limits and animal-origin rules.
Duty by type
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 1504 covers fats and oils of fish or marine mammals, refined or not but not chemically modified. Fish body oils other than solid fractions (1504 20 90 00) carried 0% on goods from China, as did halibut and other fish-liver oils; fish-liver oil with a vitamin A content not exceeding 2,500 IU per gram carried 2%, and solid fractions of fish oil 10%. No line carried an anti-dumping measure. Marine mammal oils have their own lines and are not covered here.
Chemically modified oils are heading 1518, and fish oil capsules sold as supplements are usually food preparations of heading 2106 (see our food preparations guide); confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish-liver oil, 2,500 IU vitamin A per gram or less | 1504 10 10 00 | 2% | None |
| Other fish-liver oils | 1504 10 99 00 | 0% | None |
| Solid fractions of fish oil, 1 kg or less | 1504 20 10 10 | 10% | None |
| Other fish body oil | 1504 20 90 00 | 0% | None |
Contaminants, animal-origin controls and feed
Retained Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 sets maximum levels for marine oils intended for human consumption (point 5.7): 1.75 pg/g fat for dioxins, 6.0 pg/g fat for dioxins plus dioxin-like PCBs and 200 ng/g fat for non-dioxin-like PCBs. Fish oil for human consumption is a product of animal origin, so it must come from an approved country and establishment with a health certificate and pre-notification before arrival.
Fish oil for animal feed or technical use is an animal by-product under retained Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009, with its own import conditions, so confirm the category and documents before shipping.
Specifying fish oil
Specify species and source, grade (food, feed or technical), EPA and DHA content, peroxide, anisidine and TOTOX values, free fatty acids, dioxin, PCB and heavy metal limits, antioxidants, packing (nitrogen-flushed drums, IBCs or flexitanks) and shelf life.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 20 tonnes of refined fish body oil in bulk, commodity code 1504 20 90 00, bought for £50,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £54,000. Duty is 0%. VAT depends on use: fish oil for animal feed is generally zero-rated under VAT Notice 701/15, while fish oils held out for sale as dietary supplements are standard-rated under VAT Notice 701/14, which would mean import VAT of 20% of £54,000, £10,800, reclaimable by a VAT-registered importer. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
Inspection checklist
Documents: check the health certificate or animal by-product documents, the establishment approval and the certificate of analysis.
Laboratory: test oxidation values, EPA and DHA, and dioxins, PCBs and heavy metals on an independent sample.
Packing: check nitrogen flushing, seals and container cleanliness, and temperature records.
What goes wrong
Fish oil orders fail on oxidation, contaminants and paperwork. Peroxide values rise in transit, dioxin or PCB results exceed the limits for food use, and consignments are held because the establishment or documents do not match the intended use.
Test independently, protect the oil from oxygen and heat, and settle the animal-origin route first. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources fish oil for UK feed, supplement and technical users, checking the producer's approvals and testing first. See factory verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on fish oil from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, bulk fish body oil (1504 20 90 00) carried 0% from China.
What are the dioxin limits for fish oil?
1.75 pg/g fat for dioxins and 6.0 pg/g fat including dioxin-like PCBs, for marine oils for human consumption.
Is fish oil VAT-free?
Feed-grade oil is generally zero-rated; fish oil sold as a dietary supplement is standard-rated.
Does feed-grade fish oil need special documents?
Yes. It is an animal by-product under Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009.