Sourcing fresh cut orchids from China

Fresh cut orchid duty and import controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0603 covers cut flowers and flower buds for bouquets or ornamental use, fresh or otherwise prepared. Fresh cut orchids fall under 0603 13 00 00. The orchid types shown share this commodity line. The China duty is 8%, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty recorded.

The snapshot also records an autonomous tariff suspension at 0.00 %, excluding mixtures, preparations or products made up of different components containing these products. Ask your broker to confirm eligibility. The tariff attaches CITES import and export controls and an organic-products import control. Confirm the requirements for your Chinese consignment with your customs broker, including any organic inspection certificate.

Confirm the botanical identity, cut-flower presentation and any mixed contents using our commodity code guide. For wider heading context, see fresh cut lilies. Duty relief does not establish whether the shipment meets plant health or CITES requirements.

Specify orchid stems and clearance paperwork

Specify the botanical name and cultivar, colour, stem length, flower count, opening stage and acceptable petal damage. Agree hydration, sleeves, carton support and a transport temperature suitable for the variety. Ask the grower or packing supplier for photographs of the packed flowers and an arrival vase-life assessment against your agreed sample.

Confirm the plant health risk category before ordering. For high and medium risk A goods, confirm registration, phytosanitary certification, advance notification, checks and fees with the plant health authority; for medium risk B goods, confirm phytosanitary certificate requirements. For CITES-controlled specimens, an import permit is required. Ask APHA to confirm whether your identified cut flowers qualify for an exemption. Organic imports must follow the applicable organic import rules.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 2,000 stems of fresh cut orchids, illustrative only under 0603 13 00 00, 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: match the botanical name, cultivar and colour to the order and shipment documents.

Flower condition: check petal bruising, translucent patches, dropped blooms, wilted buds and stem breakage.

Packing and hydration: check leaking water tubes, dry stem ends, crushed sleeves, condensation and carton support.

Arrival performance: photograph defects by batch and assess flower opening and vase life against the agreed sample. Use our quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

Flowers packed too tightly develop petal marks and broken stems. Poor hydration causes wilting; unsuitable cooling can damage sensitive varieties. Condensation encourages deterioration, while flowers harvested at the wrong opening stage may arrive unsuitable for the buyer's arrangements.

Vague descriptions such as 'orchid flowers' leave the buyer unable to check species-specific paperwork. Resolve botanical identity, CITES status, plant health documents and any organic claim before dispatch. Agree how arrival defects will be recorded and how the supplier will handle claims.

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.