Sourcing fresh mushrooms and enoki from China
Fresh or chilled mushrooms from China pay 2% to 12% UK duty depending on the genus, 6% for shiitake, enoki and most others and 12% for button mushrooms, with no anti-dumping duty. Enoki from China are on the Great Britain list of food with special import conditions for Listeria: each consignment needs a Chinese official certificate, laboratory results and a CHED-D.
Fresh mushrooms from China pay 2% to 12% UK duty by species. Enoki face Listeria certificates and border checks under Regulation 2019/1793.
The genus sets the rate
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 28 September 2026, fresh or chilled mushrooms sit in 0709 51 to 0709 59. Agaricus carried 12%, Boletus 4%, Cantharellus 2% (suspended to 0% until 31 December 2028 for chanterelles processed other than by simple repacking for retail sale), and shiitake, matsutake, truffles and other mushrooms 6%. None carried an anti-dumping measure.
Enoki, king oyster and shimeji fall in 0709 59 00 00. Dried mushrooms are heading 0712 and canned mushrooms heading 2003, covered in our canned mushrooms guide; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agaricus (button, chestnut) | 0709 51 00 00 | 12% | None |
| Boletus (porcini) | 0709 52 00 00 | 4% | None |
| Cantharellus (chanterelles); 0% for processing to 31 Dec 2028 | 0709 53 00 00 | 2% | None |
| Shiitake | 0709 54 00 00 | 6% | None |
| Matsutake | 0709 55 00 00 | 6% | None |
| Truffles | 0709 56 00 00 | 6% | None |
| Other, including enoki, king oyster and shimeji | 0709 59 00 00 | 6% | None |
Enoki: Listeria certificates and checks
Annex II of retained Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 lists enoki mushrooms from China for special import conditions because of Listeria, with identity and physical checks on 20% of consignments. Under Article 10, each consignment must travel with the results of sampling and analysis carried out by the Chinese competent authority, which must show Listeria absent in 25 g; under Article 11, it must also carry an official certificate issued by that authority before the goods leave its control, valid for no more than four months.
The tariff reflects this: 0709 59 00 00 carries a restriction on release for free circulation for goods from China until a CHED-D is finalised. The importer pre-notifies the consignment and it enters through a border control post; other mushrooms on the same line are not caught, but the declaration must make clear which they are.
Specifying fresh mushrooms
Specify the species and grade, cap size or bunch weight, pack format and weight, the cold chain temperature from packing to delivery, shelf life at arrival, labelling with country of origin, and for enoki the Listeria testing plan behind the official certificate.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 10,000 kg of fresh enoki in retail packs under 0709 59 00 00, at £18,000 free on board with £4,500 of refrigerated freight and insurance, so the customs value is £22,500. Duty at 6% is £1,350. Fresh mushrooms are food and zero-rated for VAT under VAT Notice 701/14, so no import VAT is due. Refrigerated freight is a fifth of the value here, and the product has a short shelf life, so a consignment held at the border control post for a Listeria check loses selling days as well as money; the Chinese certificate and laboratory results must be right before the container leaves. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.
Inspection checklist
Before loading: check the official certificate and the laboratory results match the consignment's identification code and lot numbers, and that pre-cooling and reefer set points are recorded.
Product: check colour, firmness, cap opening and moisture on sampled packs, pack weights and labels.
On arrival: download the reefer temperature record and check remaining shelf life before accepting the load. See our quality inspection guide.
What goes wrong
Fresh mushroom orders fail on the cold chain, paperwork and shelf life. A reefer running warm spoils the load, a certificate that does not match the consignment code holds it at the border, Listeria results fail and the consignment is refused, and a short remaining shelf life leaves too few days to sell.
Cambridge China Bridge sources fresh and dried mushrooms for UK wholesalers and Asian food importers, with the certificate, testing and cold chain agreed before the first shipment. See container programmes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on fresh mushrooms from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 28 September 2026, 12% for Agaricus, 4% for Boletus, 2% for chanterelles and 6% for shiitake, enoki and other mushrooms.
Do enoki mushrooms from China need special paperwork?
Yes. Under retained Regulation 2019/1793 each consignment needs Chinese laboratory results showing no Listeria in 25 g, an official certificate and a CHED-D, and 20% are physically checked.
Is there VAT on fresh mushrooms?
Fresh mushrooms are food and zero-rated under VAT Notice 701/14.
How long is the Chinese official certificate valid?
No more than four months from issue, and no longer than six months from the date of the laboratory results.