Sourcing frozen blackcurrants from China

Blackcurrant duty depends on added sugar

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 0811 covers frozen fruit and nuts, uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water, with or without added sweetening matter. This guide covers blackcurrants. The table shows individually frozen and block-frozen unsweetened fruit separately under the same commodity code.

Chinese-origin blackcurrants without added sugar carry 14%. Sweetened blackcurrants carry 20%, or 20% plus £7 per 100 kg when sugar content exceeds 13% by weight. The supplied tariff records show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for these blackcurrant codes. They attach an organic import control: organic consignments need a certificate of inspection. The importing company must also be based and certified in the UK.

Give your broker the fruit identity, preparation, added sweeteners and total sugar content before confirming the commodity code. For the wider heading, see the frozen blueberries guide. Do not apply another fruit's suspension to blackcurrants.

Specify blackcurrants for the intended recipe

Specify variety, origin, whole fruit or broken fruit, individually frozen or block frozen, size grading, colour and sugar content. Agree acceptable stalks, leaves, crushed berries, ice and foreign matter against an approved sample. Test a thawed sample in the intended jam, filling or drink recipe for flavour, texture and juice release.

State whether the berries will be cooked or eaten without further heating. Agree batch testing for pesticide residues, contaminants and microbiological risks, including viruses where relevant. Confirm applicable pesticide and contaminant limits with the relevant food authority. For fruit sold as quick-frozen in England, also confirm the applicable storage and transport temperature requirements with that authority.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 22 tonnes of unsweetened frozen blackcurrants for a food wholesaler under 0811 20 39 00, invoiced at £26,000 free on board, with £3,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £29,800. Duty at 14% is £4,172. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £33,972, so it is £6,794.40. Import taxes total £10,966.40; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £4,172 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: compare grading and colour with the approved sample; check stalks, leaves, split berries, clumping and foreign matter.

Cold chain: check core temperatures at loading and arrival, the refrigerated container settings and the temperature logger records.

Batch evidence: match sampled lots, laboratory reports, carton batch marks and supplier traceability records. Check the agreed pesticide, contaminant and microbiological results.

Packaging: inspect liners, seals and carton damage; compare pack weights, storage instructions and label artwork with the order. For organic fruit, check the consignment's certificate of inspection. Use the inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

Fruit can arrive clumped after temperature abuse, with excessive broken berries or stalks, or with flavour and juice release that differ from the sample. An attractive sample does not establish batch safety. Match test reports to the shipped lot and review temperature records before accepting stock.

Added sugar can change the tariff line, while an organic claim without the required certificate creates an import-control problem. Agree the recipe and paperwork before shipment. Check the current high-risk food list for the product and origin before arranging the route; confirm any pre-notification and border-check requirements with the relevant port health authority or your customs broker.

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.