Sourcing fresh frisée endive from China

Frisée endive: 10% UK duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0705 covers fresh or chilled lettuce and chicory. Fresh frisée endive belongs with other chicory under 0705 29 00 00, carrying 10% duty for goods from China. The supplied lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. The table includes related heading lines for comparison; these are not alternative descriptions of frisée.

The tariff attaches organic import control to the frisée line. Organic consignments from China need a Great Britain certificate of inspection. Your business must also be based and certified in the UK to import organic products. Confirm the certification and release paperwork with your customs broker before ordering organic stock.

Confirm the botanical identity, product condition and commodity code before shipment. The lettuce comparison lines carry HMI conformity and Certificate of Conformity controls; ask your broker to confirm their requirements if your shipment includes lettuce. For related chicory and heading comparisons, see the witloof chicory guide.

Specify the curl, pale centre and arrival condition

Specify finely curled frisée rather than broad-leaved endive or witloof. Agree head weight, trimming, the proportion of pale inner leaves, acceptable outer-leaf damage and carton presentation using photographs and an approved sample. State whether the supply is whole heads or trimmed leaves, and whether washing is included. Ask for harvest, packing and batch records.

Fresh produce must meet quality and labelling requirements. Agree the refrigerated transport conditions and remaining usable life on arrival before choosing the route. Ask your broker to confirm the plant-health risk category, conformity certificate and notification arrangements for direct Chinese supply. Medium B risk fruit and vegetables require a phytosanitary certificate; confirm whether that category applies to your exact product.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative only: 5 tonnes of fresh frisée endive for a produce wholesaler under 0705 29 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £18,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £36,000. Duty at 10% is £3,600. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £39,600, so it is £7,920. Import taxes total £11,520; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £3,600 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 and appearance: check fine leaf curl, pale centres, head uniformity and trimming against the approved sample. Open cartons from different parts of the load.

Condition: check for wilted leaves, brown cut bases, slime, bruising, insects, grit and trapped water. Inspect beneath the outer leaves, where deterioration can be hidden.

Cold chain: compare arrival temperature with the agreed specification and review the temperature record. Check for condensation, crushed cartons and leaves pressed against wet packaging.

Weight and records: check pack weights, carton counts, origin information and batch identification against the order. Match residue reports to the shipped batches and review organic documents where applicable. Use the inspection guide to prepare the inspection brief.

What goes wrong

A supplier may interpret endive as broad-leaved endive or witloof, producing a different salad ingredient. Photographs of both the whole head and its centre help prevent substitution. Excess outer leaves can make the delivered weight look acceptable while leaving little usable product after trimming.

Warm handling causes wilting, while wet packing encourages deterioration around the base and inner leaves. A shipment can look acceptable on top but contain damaged heads underneath. Record arrival defects promptly and compare usable yield with the purchase specification before accepting a repeat order.

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.