Sourcing fresh oranges from China

Fresh-orange codes, duty and controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 24 November 2026, heading 0805 covers citrus fruit, fresh or dried. This guide covers fresh oranges only. Sweet-orange lines distinguish navel, white and other oranges, then tariff quality categories. Other fresh oranges have a separate line. For the wider citrus heading, see fresh mandarins.

The ordinary duty for Chinese sweet oranges is 2%; other fresh oranges carry 12%. Every fresh-orange line shown has an autonomous suspension to 0%, with no recorded anti-dumping or countervailing duty. The published citrus guide gives the suspension end date as 31 December 2028. Confirm the variety and tariff quality category through finding your commodity code, and ask your broker to check the suspension on the declaration.

The sweet-orange lines attach HMI conformity and Certificate of Conformity controls: confirm the applicable citrus marketing standard with the relevant authority; oranges subject to that standard need a conformity certificate before entry into Great Britain. Navel lines also attach a Unit price control; confirm its declaration requirements with your customs broker. Every listed line attaches organic import control; organic consignments need an organic inspection certificate. Confirm phytosanitary certification, pre-notification and plant-health checks for Chinese citrus with the relevant authority or your customs broker. Confirm the VAT treatment of fresh fruit with HMRC or your customs broker.

Specify variety, maturity and refrigerated handling

Identify the orange variety and intended use, such as eating fresh or juicing. Agree quality class, size range, colour, sweetness and sugar-to-acid balance, permitted peel blemishes, seed content and carton net weight. Ask the packer to identify the orchard and packing lot, and disclose waxes and post-harvest treatments.

Confirm the specific citrus marketing standard and any class, minimum size and maturity requirements for fresh oranges with the relevant authority. Agree shipment without leaves, refrigerated-container settings, ventilation and temperature logging with the packer. Specify pesticide-residue testing against the applicable UK limits before loading.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order only: 20 tonnes of fresh sweet navel oranges under 0805 10 22 90, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £4,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £22,500. Duty at 2% is £450. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £22,950, so it is £4,590. Import taxes total £5,040; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £450 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

Fruit: sample across cartons for size, maturity, flavour, peel pitting, bruising, mould and soft fruit; compare findings with the agreed grade.

Temperature: check fruit temperature at loading and arrival, then review the voyage log for warm periods or excessive cooling.

Packing: check carton strength, ventilation, net weight and lot marks; look for crushed cartons, wet packaging and inconsistent fruit sizes.

Documents: match the phytosanitary certificate and conformity paperwork to the shipment, and check the organic inspection certificate where applicable. Match residue reports to the packing lot.

What goes wrong

A good-looking packing sample can conceal immature fruit or inconsistent size grading. Excessive cooling causes chilling injury and peel pitting; warmer periods allow mould to spread from damaged oranges. Inspect at arrival before distributing the fruit, and retain photographs and temperature records.

Missing or mismatched phytosanitary paperwork can hold the consignment at the port while fruit deteriorates. Agree responsibility for document checks and arrival inspection before shipment. Use the quality inspection guide to brief the inspection.

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.