Sourcing fresh jujubes from China

Fresh jujube duty and import controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0810 covers other fresh fruit. Fresh jujubes fit the residual other fruit line, 0810 90 75 90, carrying 8% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension on this line. The table repeats this line for different packing formats.

The tariff attaches an organic import control. Confirm inspection certificate requirements for organic consignments with your customs broker and approved organic control body; the certificate is issued by the exporter’s control body in the country of export. Separately, ask APHA and your customs broker to confirm the plant-health category for Chinese fresh jujubes. For non-European goods classified as medium risk B, a phytosanitary certificate is required, without plant-health pre-notification.

Confirm the full commodity code using the fruit’s identity and its fresh condition before placing an order. Keep descriptions consistent across the specification, invoice and packing list. For the dried product, see dried red dates.

Specify crispness, maturity and packing

Specify the variety, growing area, harvest maturity, skin colour, size grading, flesh firmness and sweetness. Agree acceptance criteria for shrivelled fruit, split skins, bruises, soft flesh, insect damage and decay. Use a representative sample rather than photographs alone.

Agree cushioning, carton ventilation, pack weight, cooling arrangements and temperature recording through transport. Ask the packer to identify the orchard and packing batch. Great Britain’s pesticide residue limits apply to imported produce; commission a batch-linked residue test assessed against the applicable limits before shipment.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 tonnes of fresh jujubes; values are hypothetical under 0810 90 75 90, invoiced at £7,500 free on board, with £3,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £11,300. Duty at 8% is £904. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £12,204, so it is £2,440.80. Import taxes total £3,344.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £904 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 variety, size, maturity and skin colour with the agreed specification; cut sampled fruit to check flesh firmness and internal damage.

Condition: check for bruising beneath the skin, splits, shrivelling, mould, insects and fermented smells across different cartons.

Cold chain: review transport temperature records and check arrival condition, condensation, wet cartons, cushioning and crushed packs.

Documents: match orchard and packing batches to test reports, packing records and invoices; check any organic inspection certificate. Use a written inspection brief.

What goes wrong

Fruit can look acceptable in photographs but arrive soft, shrivelled or bruised. Mixed maturity gives uneven eating quality, while tight packing and rough handling damage the flesh. Wet packaging and temperature changes can leave condensation and decay. Agree how arrival defects will be recorded and resolved before dispatch.

A generic pesticide report may describe another orchard or batch. An organic supplier certificate should not be confused with the consignment inspection certificate. Check the documents before transport is booked, and reserve representative samples for investigating complaints.

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.