Sourcing frozen crab sections from China

6% duty on frozen crab sections

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 23 November 2026, heading 0306 covers crustaceans in several conditions, including frozen crab. This guide concerns frozen crab sections, particularly shell-on leg clusters and cut sections. Both relevant frozen-crab lines carry 6% duty for goods of Chinese origin. No anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension is recorded on these lines.

The relevant lines attach veterinary, illegal fishing and organic import controls. For Great Britain, check country and establishment approval, arrange a health certificate, and ask the port health authority to confirm pre-notification and the designated border control post route; confirm the Common Health Entry Document with your broker. Ask the port health authority to confirm catch-certification requirements for wild-caught marine crab. For organic consignments from China, confirm certificate-of-inspection requirements with the relevant authority; the exporter's control body issues the certificate.

The named crab species share a tariff code, so the table separates buying descriptions within that code. Confirm the scientific species, shell-on or shelled form, and cooking or other processing with your broker using our commodity code guide. Ask for a separate classification check for seasoned or otherwise prepared products. Our frozen shrimp and crayfish guide covers the wider heading.

Specify the crab cut and usable weight

Specify scientific species, wild or farmed origin, raw or cooked condition, shell-on form, and whether the order is leg clusters, claws or cut sections. Define which body parts remain attached, section weight grade, acceptable missing legs, broken-shell allowance, glaze, freezing method and pack format. Keep photographs and an approved sample showing the agreed cut.

Agree a deglazing and weighing method before comparing offers. Ask the relevant food authority to confirm how glaze should be treated in labelled net weight. Define meat fill, saltiness and texture after the agreed thawing and preparation method. Request declared treatments and batch laboratory results, and agree residue and microbiological testing with your laboratory.

Check the actual processing plant before ordering through factory verification. Ask the port health authority to confirm the certificates for the proposed Chinese shipment, including any additional residue documentation and catch documents where the crab was caught elsewhere. These border arrangements concern Great Britain; confirm Northern Ireland arrangements separately.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 tonnes of frozen snow crab sections under 0306 14 10 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £17,500. Duty at 6% is £1,050. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £18,550, so it is £3,710. Import taxes total £4,760; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,050 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 and documents: match species, raw or cooked condition, section type, plant details and batch marks against the specification, certificates and packing list.

Weight and cut: deglaze samples from different cartons, compare net weight and section grade, and record missing legs, loose claws and broken shells.

Temperature and condition: check core temperature against the agreed frozen specification, review transport records, and inspect for thawing signs, freezer burn, damaged seals and crushed clusters.

Labels and preparation: check English labelling, storage instructions, batch details and declared additives. Where an ingredients list is used, allergens must be emphasised each time they appear. Compare meat fill, saltiness and texture after preparation.

What goes wrong

A carton marked simply as crab sections can contain mixed grades, incomplete clusters or excessive loose legs. Heavy glaze disguises a shortfall in usable product, while damaged shells and poor meat fill reduce serving yield. Record defects against the approved sample and agreed deglazing method. Our quality inspection guide explains how to organise checks.

An available tariff code does not establish the plant's approval or the correctness of the shipment documents. Certificate descriptions, species and batch marks can disagree, causing border delays. Resolve discrepancies before loading, and review temperature records before accepting stock with signs of thawing.

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.