Sourcing Freeze-Dried Strawberries from China

Plain strawberries: 2%, suspended to 0%

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 0813 covers dried fruit and certain fruit or nut mixtures. Plain freeze-dried strawberries fall within other dried fruit, provisionally code 0813 40 95 80: the China duty is 2%, with a recorded autonomous suspension to 0%. Its footnote excludes mixtures, preparations and products containing different components. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty is recorded for the selected lines.

The table distinguishes plain strawberries from strawberry-containing mixtures. The selected mixture lines carry base duties of 6% or 8%. Although 0813 50 15 00 records a suspension, its footnote excludes mixtures, so do not assume a mixture qualifies. The tariff attaches organic import control. Confirm with your organic control body whether organic consignments need an inspection certificate, issued by the exporter's control body in the country of export; an approved UK organic control body must certify the food and business.

Confirm the recipe and process through finding your commodity code, particularly for sweetened, coated or blended products. For the wider heading, see dried fruit and goji berries. Confirm with HMRC whether plain dried fruit is zero-rated for VAT; confirm the treatment of altered products using UK import duty and VAT.

Specify strawberry form, crispness and packaging

Specify whole fruit, slices or pieces, the strawberry variety, ripeness, colour, flavour and acceptable broken material. State whether the product contains only strawberries or includes sugar, oil, flavourings or processing aids. Agree moisture and water activity targets with the supplier and laboratory, rather than accepting a generic dried-fruit specification.

Approve a sample in the intended pack. Agree the moisture barrier, seal construction, protection against crushing and storage instructions after opening. Confirm the applicable UK pesticide residue limits and treatment of concentration during drying with the relevant food authority. Ask an accredited laboratory to test a representative batch sample and agree microbiological checks for the intended use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 tonnes of plain freeze-dried strawberry slices under 0813 40 95 80, invoiced at £20,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,800. Duty at 2% is £436. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £22,236, so it is £4,447.20. Import taxes total £4,883.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £436 of duty. 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

Fruit: compare colour, aroma, crispness and piece size with the approved sample; check for stalks, foreign matter and excess powder.

Dryness: measure moisture and water activity against the agreed specification; investigate soft, sticky or clumped pieces.

Packaging: check seals, liners and crushed cartons; compare net contents and the broken-piece proportion across sampled packs.

Documents and labels: match batch details to test reports and organic paperwork. Pre-packed food must carry a business name and address. Check the proposed date marking and storage wording; confirm the applicable sulphite allergen declaration requirements with the relevant food authority.

What goes wrong

Poor moisture protection turns crisp strawberries soft, while rough handling produces powder instead of saleable slices. A bright sample can also hide uneven ripeness or colour in the production batch. Inspect the packed batch and repeat the checks on arrival before releasing stock.

A dry appearance does not establish food safety. Residue failures and undeclared treatments remain concerns, and organic paperwork can fail to match the shipment. Fruit and vegetables do not normally require a health certificate, but confirm the actual product and current border requirements with the customs broker. Use testing and certification support to agree the batch testing 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.