Sourcing fresh radicchio from China

Fresh radicchio duty and import checks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0705 covers fresh or chilled lettuce and chicory. Fresh radicchio belongs in the other chicory line, 0705 29 00 00, carrying 10% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for this line.

The tariff attaches an organic import control. Organic radicchio from China needs a valid Certificate of Inspection for import into Great Britain; the exporter’s control body issues it in the exporting country. Before dispatch, ask APHA and your customs broker to confirm the plant health category and documents for the exact Chinese-grown product and route.

The table shows buying formats under the same commodity line, rather than separate tariff subheadings. Confirm the product description and commodity code before ordering. For other products in this heading, see lettuce and chicory.

Specify the radicchio head and saleable yield

Specify round or elongated heads, leaf colour, white rib appearance, firmness, head weight range and trimming. Agree photographs of acceptable outer leaves and cut bases. Define whether the buyer accepts loose outer leaves, split heads or cosmetic marks, and assess usable yield after trimming rather than shipment weight alone.

Agree pack ventilation, protection against crushing, pre-cooling, the transport temperature specification and remaining shelf life at delivery. Fresh produce must meet quality and labelling requirements. Confirm food-business registration requirements with the local authority and applicable pesticide residue limits with the relevant authority. Request a lot-linked residue report and settle the testing plan before shipment.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order only: 5 tonnes of fresh radicchio in wholesale packs under 0705 29 00 00, 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 10% is £2,250. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,750, so it is £4,950. Import taxes total £7,200; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,250 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: check head shape, colour and trimming against the approved sample; make sure the shipment is radicchio rather than pale witloof chicory.

Condition: open heads from different cartons and check inner leaves and bases for rot, browning, slime, pests, grit and trapped water.

Cold chain: compare temperature records with the agreed specification; inspect for wilting, freezing damage, condensation and crushed cartons on arrival.

Packs and records: check net weight, head count, origin information and lot references against the packing list and residue report. For organic orders, check the Certificate of Inspection with your broker. Use the inspection guide to agree sampling.

What goes wrong

A head can look acceptable outside while decay develops around the base or inner leaves. Warm handling causes wilting, while wet packing and condensation can accompany deterioration. Excessive trimming reduces saleable yield, and tightly packed cartons bruise ribs and outer leaves.

Photograph and weigh the rejected material, keep affected lots separate and compare the defects with the agreed acceptance criteria. Do not accept a general supplier assurance in place of shipment records. Agree who reviews temperature deviations and decides whether the remaining shelf life suits your customers.

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.