Sourcing fresh Buddha's hand citrons from China

Duty and classification for fresh Buddha's hand

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 7 October 2026, heading 0805 covers citrus fruit, fresh or dried. Both other-citrus lines carry 12% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table includes neighbouring citron, lemon and lime lines for classification comparison. Confirm the precise variety and presentation through our commodity-code guide.

The supplied tariff attaches an organic import control to both other-citrus lines. For organic Buddha's hand from China, confirm the certificate requirement and eligibility with your customs broker and organic control body before ordering. The certificate of inspection is issued by the exporter's control body in the exporting country. The lemon comparison line also lists conformity controls and unit price; the lime comparison line lists unit price. Confirm those conditions with your broker if considering either classification.

Ask APHA or your customs broker to confirm phytosanitary certification, pre-notification and plant-health check requirements for citrus imports from China. Agree shipment without leaves and reconcile any required certificate with the actual consignment. For the wider heading, see fresh yuzu sourcing.

Specify finger shape, peel and intended use

Specify fresh whole Buddha's hand, the supplier's variety name, intended culinary or decorative use, maturity and peel colour. Agree open or closed finger shapes, fruit size, acceptable scars and whether broken fingers are grounds for rejection. Use photographs of approved fruit and rejected defects rather than a description such as 'good quality'.

For culinary orders using the peel, ask for pesticide and post-harvest treatment records and agree residue testing before dispatch. Confirm applicable pesticide residue limits with the relevant UK authority before approving treatments. Specify supports that protect the fingers, carton ventilation and a transport temperature agreed with the packer. Fresh produce must meet applicable quality and labelling requirements.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small-business airfreight order of fresh Buddha's hand citrons in protective cartons, subject to code confirmation under 0805 90 00 90, invoiced at £4,500 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £7,000. Duty at 12% is £840. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,840, so it is £1,568. Import taxes total £2,408; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £840 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 the fruit with the approved photographs, variety description and agreed finger shape; check carton contents against the packing list.

Condition: inspect finger tips and the spaces between fingers for breaks, splits, mould, soft patches and shrivelling; check peel colour and aroma.

Packing: check that fruit cannot rub or crush neighbouring fingers, cartons remain dry and ventilation openings are clear.

Records: reconcile lot identification, treatment records, residue results, the phytosanitary certificate and transport temperature log before releasing the arrival lot to customers.

What goes wrong

A photograph of an intact fruit can hide weak packing. Fingers break during handling, rubbing scars the peel and condensation collects in tight spaces where mould may be overlooked. Open cartons on arrival and examine individual fruit rather than accepting an exterior carton check.

A shipment can also match the common product name while differing in finger shape, maturity or intended use. Resolve these points in the purchase specification. A missing or mismatched phytosanitary certificate can hold the consignment at the port; review documents before dispatch and arrange an arrival inspection.

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.