Sourcing fresh and chilled fish from China
Fresh and chilled fish from China carries UK duty from 0% to 20%, with suspensions on selected lines. Imports into Great Britain need an approved establishment, health documentation, advance notification and border controls; wild-caught fish generally needs a validated catch certificate. Cambridge China Bridge sources fresh and chilled fish.
Duty by species, form and intended use
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 October 2026, heading 0302 covers fresh or chilled fish, excluding fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304. It also includes specified edible fish offal. Chinese-origin lines carry 0% to 20%, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty shown. Tilapia carries 8%, turbot 14% and Pacific salmon 2%.
The data shows 0.00 % suspensions for bigeye and southern bluefin tuna, excluding mixtures and preparations, and conditional authorised-use suspensions for specified processing lines of Atlantic and polar cod. Veterinary, illegal fishing and organic import controls are attached. Selected lines also carry CITES import or export controls; bigeye tuna carries a restriction on entry into free circulation. Ask your customs broker to confirm the species-specific documents and suspension eligibility before shipment.
For Great Britain, check the exporting country and processor's approval, confirm health certification requirements with the relevant authority or your customs broker, and arrange advance notification and entry through a designated border control post. Wild-caught fish generally needs a validated catch certificate; farmed fish obtained from fry or larvae is exempt from that catch control. Organic imports from China require a certificate of inspection for each consignment. Confirm the commodity code using the scientific species, presentation and intended use.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh or chilled Pacific salmon | 0302 13 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Fresh or chilled turbot | 0302 24 00 00 | 14% | None |
| Fresh or chilled mackerel, other | 0302 44 00 90 | 20% | None |
| Fresh or chilled cod, other | 0302 51 90 90 | 12% | None |
| Fresh or chilled Alaska pollock | 0302 55 00 00 | 6% | None |
| Fresh or chilled tilapia | 0302 71 00 00 | 8% | None |
| Fresh or chilled sea bream, other | 0302 85 90 00 | 14% | None |
| Fresh or chilled salmon livers, roes and milt | 0302 91 00 30 | 10% | None |
Specify species, dressing and chilled delivery
Write the scientific species, farmed or wild origin, whole or gutted presentation, head-on or head-off form, size grade and net fish weight into the purchase specification. Agree dispatch freshness, remaining shelf life on arrival, packing with ice, drainage and temperature recording. Confirm whether the fish has previously been frozen rather than accepting an unexplained description of 'fresh'.
For Chinese aquaculture fishery products subject to the additional controls, arrange chemical testing for chloramphenicol, nitrofuran and its metabolites, malachite green, crystal violet and their metabolites, with the Chinese competent authority's attestation containing the results. Confirm the applicable retail labelling requirements with the relevant authority, including language, species, production method and area, allergens, storage and address details. Check the processor through factory verification.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 tonnes of chilled turbot; FOB value and freight are illustrative under 0302 24 00 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £17,500. Duty at 14% is £2,450. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £19,950, so it is £3,990. Import taxes total £6,440; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,450 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
Identity: compare species, dressing and size grade with the agreed specification; match carton lot references to the invoice and certificates.
Condition: inspect eyes, gills, flesh firmness, odour and belly damage; record product temperature and review the transit temperature record.
Weight and packing: weigh fish separately from ice and packaging; check drainage, leaks, crushed cartons and the agreed net weight.
Documents and labels: reconcile approval details, health documents and any catch or organic certificate with the load; check retail label text and laboratory reports.
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What goes wrong
A delivery can meet the species description yet fail the buyer's freshness specification after temperature excursions or border delays. Ice can hide short net weight, mixed grades change usable yield, and previously frozen fish can arrive with soft flesh. Agree rejection criteria and record arrival condition before accepting the lot.
Approval or certificate mismatches can interrupt clearance while chilled stock deteriorates. Do not treat a low duty rate as permission to import a restricted species. For detached shark fins and products containing them, confirm the applicable import prohibitions and any exceptions with the relevant authority or your customs broker, even where a tariff line exists.
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 fresh fish from China?
The supplied tariff data shows 0% to 20% across heading 0302: tilapia 8%, turbot 14% and Pacific salmon 2%. Selected lines have suspensions. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty is shown.
Can I import chilled fish from any Chinese factory?
No. Check the country and establishment approval for the product before ordering. Arrange the applicable health documents, advance notification and designated border control post route.
Does farmed fish need a catch certificate?
Aquaculture products obtained from fry or larvae are exempt from the catch control shown in the tariff. Health controls still apply, including additional testing and attestation for controlled Chinese aquaculture products.
What should I check when chilled fish arrives?
Check species, dressing, size grade, fish weight without ice, odour, flesh condition and temperature records. Match the lot to its certificates and record any damage or freshness failure.