Sourcing frozen green peas from China

Ordinary frozen green peas pay 14%

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, frozen peas fall under 0710 21 00 00 within heading 0710, covering vegetables frozen uncooked or after steaming or boiling in water. Ordinary shelled green peas from China pay 14%, with no anti-dumping duty. The table shows buying formats sharing this tariff line, rather than separate commodity codes.

The line has a 0% suspension for specified thin pea pods used in prepared-meal manufacture. Do not apply it to ordinary shelled green peas. The tariff also attaches an organic import control. Organic peas from China entering Great Britain need a certificate of inspection for each consignment; check the exporter's control body and country against the official organic registers.

Confirm the commodity code against the product description and processing method before ordering. The frozen vegetables guide covers the wider heading. Confirm the exact product's VAT treatment with HMRC or your customs broker, using the duty and VAT guide to support your planning.

Specify pea size, tenderness and freezing

Specify shelled green peas, the agreed size grade, colour, tenderness after cooking, and acceptable broken peas, skins and stems. Agree whether peas must remain individually separate when frozen. Retain an approved sample and a written cooking method so the factory and receiving warehouse assess the same result.

Set the pack format, net weight, remaining shelf life on arrival and lot identification. Agree refrigerated transport at -18°C or colder, pre-cooling and temperature records. Confirm applicable GB pesticide maximum residue levels with the relevant authority; obtain a lot-specific residue report from an accredited laboratory.

Confirm food-business registration and labelling requirements with the relevant authority. Review the product name, net weight, storage instructions, UK address and English wording, and confirm whether an ingredient-list exemption applies and how to declare any allergens. Settle the artwork before packing.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order only: 20 tonnes of frozen shelled green peas under 0710 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 14% is £3,010. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,510, so it is £4,902. Import taxes total £7,912; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £3,010 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

Cold chain: check core temperature against -18°C or colder across cartons from different container positions, and review the transport temperature record.

Pea quality: thaw and cook samples using the agreed method; compare colour, size, tenderness, broken peas and skins with the approved sample.

Weight and foreign matter: check net contents and inspect for excess ice, stems, stones and plastic against the written specification.

Batch records: match carton lot codes to residue reports and approved labels; for organic stock, check the consignment's inspection certificate. Use the inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

A sample can look acceptable while the shipment contains mixed grades, tough peas or excessive broken pieces. Assess a cooked sample as well as frozen appearance. Fused clumps, excess ice, freezer burn and colour loss warrant checking the temperature history and packaging before accepting stock.

A residue report for a different lot does not establish the quality of the shipment. Match reports to the dispatched batch. Ordinary shelled peas also lose any assumed duty saving if a quotation incorrectly applies the thin-pod suspension.

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.