Sourcing fresh witloof chicory from China

Duty on fresh witloof chicory

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, fresh or chilled witloof chicory under 0705 21 00 00 carries 10% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record shows no anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension. Heading 0705 covers fresh or chilled lettuce and chicory; this guide concerns witloof heads.

The tariff attaches an organic import control to this line. For organic shipments from China into Great Britain, each consignment needs a certificate of inspection, issued by the exporter’s control body in the country of export. Confirm the certificate arrangements with your customs broker before dispatch. Fresh fruit and vegetables must also meet quality and labelling requirements.

Confirm the product identity and presentation using our commodity code guide. The table contains the sole witloof line in the supplied facts. For other products in the heading, see lettuce and chicory sourcing.

Specify pale, tightly closed witloof heads

Describe the product as fresh witloof chicory heads, also called Belgian endive. Agree head length, diameter, weight range, leaf colour, firmness, closure and base trimming against an approved sample. State whether you want loose catering cartons or retail packs, and agree acceptable greening, bruising and broken leaves.

Agree pre-cooling, refrigerated handling, light protection, ventilation and remaining shelf life at delivery. Ask the grower and packhouse to explain how they protect the heads during trimming, packing and loading. Request lot-linked pesticide residue reports against GB maximum residue levels.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative wholesale order: 5 tonnes of fresh witloof chicory under 0705 21 00 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 10% is £2,150. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £23,650, so it is £4,730. Import taxes total £6,880; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,150 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

Heads: check tight closure, pale leaves, firmness and cleanly trimmed bases; record greening, split heads, bruising and brown edges against the agreed sample.

Condition: open cartons from different load positions and check for wilt, slime, decay, pests, foreign matter and excess moisture.

Packing and cold chain: check crushed cartons, protective wrapping, ventilation, pack weights, temperature records and remaining shelf life against the order.

Documents: match carton lot codes to packing records and residue reports; check product and origin information and, for organic goods, the certificate of inspection.

What goes wrong

A photograph of the outer carton can hide loose heads, wet bases and damaged inner leaves. Light exposure can cause greening, while poor temperature control and condensation can leave heads wilted or decaying. Record the condition immediately on arrival and keep photographs linked to the carton lot.

A supplier may use “endive” loosely, so approve the actual head shape and product identity before ordering. Agree how rejected heads and excessive trimming losses will be assessed. Missing organic paperwork is a separate problem from visual quality; settle it before dispatch.

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.