Sourcing flavoured coffee syrups from China
UK duty on flavoured coffee syrups from China depends on the sugar base: £16 to £35 per 100 kg for glucose and isoglucose syrups, or £0.30 per 100 kg per 1% sucrose for other sugar syrups. Food labels and additive conditions matter. Cambridge China Bridge sources flavoured coffee syrups.
Sugar composition determines the duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 2106 includes flavoured or coloured sugar syrups. For coffee syrups, identify the sugar base and composition before choosing a line. The table shows candidate lines, not interchangeable classifications. See the wider food preparations guide.
Chinese-origin glucose and maltodextrine syrups carry £16 per 100 kg; isoglucose syrups £35 per 100 kg net. Other sugar syrups carry £0.30 per 100 kg net per 1% sucrose content. These listed lines have no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The tariff attaches organic import control; organic food from China needs a Great Britain certificate of inspection for each consignment.
Give your broker the full recipe, sugar analysis and net weight to confirm the commodity code. None of these syrup lines has a plain percentage duty, so a percentage-duty worked example would be misleading. Lactose syrups have a separate line with veterinary control; confirm its requirements with your broker before ordering an animal-ingredient formulation.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flavoured glucose or maltodextrine syrup, other | 2106 90 55 90 | £16.00 per 100 kg | None |
Specify the syrup in the finished coffee
Agree the flavour, sugar base, sweetness, viscosity, colour and intended use in hot or iced coffee. Record flavouring carriers, sweeteners, colours and preservatives in the recipe. Test the approved sample in the buyer's actual coffee and milk combination, including plant-based alternatives where relevant.
Most additives are permitted only in certain foods and specific quantities. Check the intended syrup use before approving the recipe. Agree bottle material, closure, pump compatibility, storage and shelf life after opening. Confirm food-business registration requirements with your local authority, and ask the relevant food authority to confirm the applicable labelling requirements for English food information, ingredients with allergens emphasised, net quantity, dates, storage and the business name and address.
Inspection checklist
Recipe: compare batch sugar analysis and the complete ingredient declaration with the approved formulation and classification.
Flavour and dispensing: compare taste, colour and viscosity with the retained sample; test dissolution and pump operation in the intended drinks.
Safety and labels: review batch microbiology and relevant contaminant results; check allergen information and English labels against the recipe.
Bottles and cartons: check fill quantity, seals, leakage, closures and batch identification; compare bottles and pumps with the approved packing sample.
What goes wrong
A supplier changes the sugar base but keeps the same product name, leaving the declared tariff line unsupported. Flavour can also differ between the sample and production batch, while syrup crystallises, separates or dispenses poorly through the chosen pump.
Leaking closures, sticky cartons and labels that miss milk allergens are practical arrival problems. Approve the recipe and packing together, retain batch samples and include dispensing checks in the inspection brief.
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 coffee syrups from China?
Glucose and maltodextrine syrups carry £16 per 100 kg; isoglucose £35 per 100 kg net. Other sugar syrups carry £0.30 per 100 kg net per 1% sucrose content. The recipe determines the line.
Can I use the same commodity code for every flavour?
Do not assume so. Compare the sugar base and full composition of each recipe. A flavour name alone does not establish the tariff line.
What should I check on coffee syrup samples?
Taste them in the intended hot and iced drinks. Compare sweetness, colour, dissolution and viscosity, then check bottle seals and the actual dispensing pump.
Do organic coffee syrups need import paperwork?
Yes. Organic food from China entering Great Britain needs a certificate of inspection for each consignment. Confirm the exporter's control body and country are on the non-UK organic registers.