Sourcing fresh-cut tulips from China

Fresh-cut tulip 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 prepared. Fresh-cut tulips fall within the residual fresh-flower line 0603 19 70 90. The table shows buying formats under the same code, rather than separate tariff lines. For planting stock, see our tulip bulbs guide.

The supplied tariff record shows an 8% base duty for Chinese goods and a 0% autonomous tariff suspension, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure recorded. The suspension excludes mixtures, preparations or products made up of different components containing these products. The tariff also attaches an organic-products import control. Before using an organic claim, ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable certification and clearance requirements for cut flowers from China.

Confirm the commodity code and suspension eligibility against the actual shipment. Separately confirm its non-EU plant health risk category with APHA. Medium risk B goods require a phytosanitary certificate but do not require pre-notification; ask APHA to confirm any additional controls for high risk and medium risk A goods. Do not decide the paperwork solely from the customs code.

Specify cultivar, bud stage and cold-chain handling

Name the cultivar and colour, single or double flowers, stem length, acceptable curvature, leaf condition and bud opening stage. Agree stems per bunch, bunches per carton and whether sleeves carry your own branding. Use photographs of acceptable buds and rejected defects, alongside a physical sample where practical.

Agree cooling before packing, the transport temperature specification, temperature recording and handling at transfer points. Specify supports that protect buds and prevent stems from being compressed. Ask the grower and packing supplier to demonstrate their grading and packing process through factory verification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 2,000 bunches of fresh-cut tulips, illustrative only 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: compare cultivar, colour, stem length and bunch counts with the purchase specification.

Bud and stem condition: check opening stage, crushed petals, snapped stems, excessive bending and yellowing leaves.

Moisture and cleanliness: check for mould, insects, attached soil, wet sleeves and damp or softened cartons.

Temperature and performance: review the shipment temperature record and hold representative stems in water to assess opening and vase performance against the agreed sample.

What goes wrong

Tulips can arrive with buds already open, bent stems, bruised petals or mould inside damp sleeves. A shipment photograph can hide damage in the centre of a bunch. Inspect cartons from different positions and record condition immediately on arrival before conditioning the flowers.

A mixed bouquet can change both the tariff assessment and plant health paperwork. Keep tulip-only orders clearly described and resolve document questions before dispatch. Agree acceptance and rejection criteria using the quality inspection guide.

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.