Sourcing fresh spring onions from China
Fresh spring onions entered as onions carry 8% UK duty from China; other alliaceous vegetables in the wider heading carry 10%. Confirm applicable pesticide residue limits with the relevant authority, and check the exact plant-health requirements before shipment. Cambridge China Bridge sources fresh spring onions.
Spring-onion duty and import controls
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 0703 covers fresh or chilled onions and other alliaceous vegetables. The other-onions line, 0703 10 19 00, carries 8% duty for goods from China. The table shows buying formats within that same line. Confirm that the supplier's product belongs there before declaring it.
The supplied tariff extract lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for this line. It attaches import control of organic products. For an organic order, confirm the certificate-of-inspection requirements with your customs broker. The certificate is issued by the exporter's control body in the exporting country.
Give your broker the botanical identity, photographs, intended food use and preparation details, then confirm the commodity code. Other alliaceous vegetables carry 10% in the supplied extract. For the wider heading, see fresh Chinese chives.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh spring onions, loose | 0703 10 19 00 | 8% | None |
Specify the stems, trimming and packing
Specify the variety and botanical identity, stem thickness, total length, white-stem proportion and acceptable bulb development. Agree whether roots remain, how leaves are trimmed, and whether the order is loose or bunched. Use photographs of an agreed sample to distinguish the required product from larger bunching onions.
Agree bunch weight, carton net weight, ventilation, pre-cooling, transport conditions and remaining saleable life on arrival. Fresh vegetables must meet marketing quality and labelling requirements. Confirm applicable GB pesticide maximum residue levels with the relevant authority; request a residue report identifying the shipped lot. Check the exact plant-health requirements before dispatch.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: a wholesale consignment of fresh spring onions under 0703 10 19 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,500. Duty at 8% is £1,720. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £23,220, so it is £4,644. Import taxes total £6,364; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,720 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
Stems and leaves: check firmness, colour, stem thickness, trimming and bulb development against the agreed sample.
Cleanliness and condition: examine leaf bases and roots for soil, insects, slime, decay and foreign matter; open cartons from different positions.
Packing and cold chain: check bunch and carton weights, ventilation, crushed stems, condensation and transport temperature records.
Lot and documents: match carton lot marks to residue reports and shipping documents; check origin wording and any plant-health or organic documents agreed before shipment.
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What goes wrong
Yellow leaves, limp stems and slimy bases can make an apparently full carton unsuitable for the buyer's intended sale. Tight bunching can conceal damaged stems, while wet packing can hide decay until cartons are opened. Record condition promptly on arrival, with photographs and lot details.
A supplier's general farm certificate does not show the residue result for the shipped lot. Vague descriptions also leave buyers arguing over bulb size, root trimming and usable weight. Put these points in the order and use the inspection guide to brief the arrival check.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on fresh spring onions from China?
The supplied tariff extract gives 8% for 0703 10 19 00, the other-onions line. Other alliaceous vegetables carry 10%. Confirm the product's classification before shipment.
Do fresh spring onions need plant-health paperwork?
Check the requirements for the exact product and origin before dispatch. Fresh vegetables fall under GB plant-health import rules; arrange any required documents and notification before shipment.
What should I check for organic spring onions?
The tariff attaches organic-product import control. Confirm the inspection-certificate requirements with your broker; the certificate is issued by the exporter's control body in the exporting country.
What should I inspect when spring onions arrive?
Check firm stems, green leaves, clean roots, trimming, bunch weights and carton condition. Look inside bunches for slime or decay, review temperature records and match the lot to its residue report.