Sourcing fresh finger limes from China

Finger lime classification and duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 7 October 2026, heading 0805 covers fresh or dried citrus. The candidate for fresh finger limes is 0805 90 00 90, other citrus, carrying 12% duty from China with no suspension, anti-dumping or countervailing duty shown. Treat this as provisional pending confirmation of the botanical identity.

The tariff attaches organic import controls to this candidate line. Organic food from China entering Great Britain needs a valid Certificate of Inspection, issued by the exporter’s control body. Confirm the paperwork with your customs broker before shipping an organic order.

Confirm the commodity code using the botanical name and product condition. The other table rows are classification comparisons, not interchangeable finger lime codes. The ordinary lime comparison has a unit-price control; the lemon comparison also has conformity controls and a suspension. Ask your broker to confirm those requirements if purchasing those products. See the wider citrus guide.

Specify the fruit and its juice pearls

Specify whole fresh finger limes, botanical identity, cultivar, peel and pulp colour, size grading, seediness and the condition of the juice pearls. Approve cut-fruit samples as well as exterior photographs. Agree acceptable skin marks, split fruit, shrivelling and pulp leakage, together with protective packing and the delivery condition.

Fresh fruit must meet marketing quality and labelling requirements. Ask your broker to confirm the botanical plant-health category before dispatch. Low-risk goods do not require a phytosanitary certificate or plant-health pre-notification; confirm that this treatment covers the exact fruit being shipped rather than copying generic citrus paperwork.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 100 kg of fresh finger limes; illustrative order, subject to code confirmation under 0805 90 00 90, invoiced at £3,600 free on board, with £2,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,100. Duty at 12% is £732. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,832, so it is £1,366.40. Import taxes total £2,098.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £732 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 cultivar, peel colour and cut-fruit appearance with the approved sample; check grower and packing-lot records.

Pulp: cut samples from across the consignment and check pearl separation, juiciness, seediness, discolouration and unwanted odours.

Condition: check for mould, punctures, split skins, shrivelling and leaking fruit; photograph defects before distributing the order.

Packing: check cushioning, crushed packs, condensation and temperature records against the agreed transport conditions. Match organic certificates to the shipment where applicable.

What goes wrong

Exterior colour alone does not establish pulp colour or eating quality. A consignment can match the photographs yet contain dry fruit, excessive seeds or damaged juice pearls. Compare cut samples before shipment and on arrival, and record the agreed acceptance criteria in the purchase order.

Compression, punctures and temperature excursions can leave split or leaking fruit unsuitable for garnish use. Keep arrival photographs, packing records and temperature logs together when assessing a claim. Arrange checks through 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.