Sourcing fresh-cut gerberas from China

Gerbera duty and import checks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0603 covers cut flowers and flower buds for bouquets or decoration, fresh or prepared. Fresh-cut gerberas fall within the other fresh flowers line, 0603 19 70 90. The companion rows cover flowers a buyer might order alongside gerberas; they are separate classifications. See the fresh-cut chrysanthemum guide for the wider heading.

The supplied snapshot records an 8% base duty from China and a 0.00 % autonomous suspension, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty recorded. The suspension excludes mixtures, preparations and products made up of different components containing these products. Ask your broker to confirm eligibility for the actual shipment. The UK Trade Tariff also attaches an organic-products import control; confirm its application to Chinese cut flowers with your customs broker before making organic claims.

Confirm the commodity code using the botanical identity and whether the flowers are fresh or prepared. Separately check the plant health risk category before ordering: confirm phytosanitary certificate requirements for high and medium risk goods with the plant-health authority, while low risk goods are exempt from plant health controls. Recheck the category before dispatch because categorisations may change.

Specify gerbera stems, heads and packing

Specify the cultivar, colour, flower-head diameter, stem length and thickness, straightness, cutting stage and acceptable petal condition. Distinguish standard and miniature gerberas in the order. Agree whether stem supports or protective head sleeves are supplied, and approve photographs and physical samples rather than relying on a colour name.

Ask the grower or packhouse to describe hydration, cooling, stem-end treatment and transport packing. Agree packing that supports the heads without rubbing petals or trapping moisture. Define how vase performance will be assessed after arrival under your usual florist handling conditions.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 2,000 fresh-cut gerbera stems; illustrative order and values under 0603 19 70 90, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,900. Duty at 8% is £552. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,452, so it is £1,490.40. Import taxes total £2,042.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £552 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity and count: check cultivar, colour mix and stem count against the order and carton records.

Stems: check length, straightness, firmness, crushed ends and bending immediately beneath the flower head.

Flower heads: check diameter, opening stage, bruised petals, broken heads, brown marks and visible mould.

Packing and recovery: check wet cartons, crushed sleeves and displaced supports; observe hydration recovery and vase performance. Use the quality inspection guide to agree how findings are recorded.

What goes wrong

Gerbera shipments can look acceptable in dispatch photographs but arrive with bent necks, rubbed petals or collapsed heads. Tight packing crushes blooms, while condensation encourages mould. A colour substitution or uneven opening stage can make the batch unsuitable for the intended arrangements.

Agree how arrival defects and poor hydration recovery will be documented before ordering. Check import paperwork before dispatch rather than waiting for the flowers to arrive. Where organic status is proposed, resolve the tariff control with the broker first; the food, feed and seed guidance alone does not establish the cut-flower procedure.

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.