Sourcing fresh guavas from China

Fresh guava duty and import checks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, fresh guavas under 0804 50 00 30 carried 0% duty on goods from China. No anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension is recorded for this line. Heading 0804 covers dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, guavas, mangoes and mangosteens, fresh or dried. The table shows purchase formats covered by the same guava line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

The tariff attaches import control of organic products. Organic consignments need an inspection certificate; the exporter’s control body issues it in the country of export. Check the paperwork before shipment. Separately, confirm the current plant-health category with APHA before booking transport, because risk categorisations can change.

Confirm the commodity code against the fruit and its condition. For the dried product within the wider heading, see the dried guava guide.

Specify flesh colour, firmness and packing

Agree the variety, white or pink flesh, skin colour, fruit size, firmness and intended use. A buyer selling crisp guavas needs a different arrival condition from a buyer wanting soft fruit for purée. Record the accepted ripeness in photographs and a written specification.

Specify carton weight, fruit protection, ventilation, stacking and the temperature programme agreed with the supplier. Ask for harvest and packing records, lot identification and pesticide test reports. In England and Wales, fresh produce must meet quality and labelling requirements throughout production and marketing.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of fresh guavas under 0804 50 00 30, invoiced at £20,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £21,800, so it is £4,360. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. 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

Fruit: compare size, flesh colour and firmness with the specification; cut samples to check internal bruising, browning and insect damage.

Condition: check for split skins, mould, soft spots, shrivelling and fermented odours across cartons from different pallet positions.

Packing: check carton weights, cushioning, ventilation and crushed boxes; review temperature records against the agreed programme.

Records: match lot identification, packing records and test reports to the shipment; check organic inspection paperwork where applicable. Use the quality inspection guide to plan sampling.

What goes wrong

Mixed ripeness leaves some fruit hard while other fruit becomes soft before sale. Attractive skins can conceal bruised flesh, and tight packing can damage fruit during handling. Poor ventilation and breaks in temperature control can leave wet cartons, mould or fermented fruit.

Inspect cut fruit before loading and again on arrival. Agree how defects will be recorded and how affected cartons will be handled. Check the actual shipment rather than relying on photographs of selected fruit.

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.