Sourcing frozen lobster from China

Frozen lobster duty: 6% to 16%

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 10 November 2026, the listed frozen lobster lines within heading 0306 carry 6% to 16% duty for goods from China. Whole Homarus lobster carries 6%, rock lobster for processing 12%, and the listed other cooked, shell-on Homarus line 16%. These lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no tariff suspension.

The tariff attaches veterinary, illegal fishing and organic import controls. For Great Britain, ask your customs broker to confirm country and establishment approval, health certification, pre-notification and designated border control post requirements. Wild-caught marine lobster needs a validated catch certificate. Organic imports from China require a Great Britain certificate of inspection for each consignment.

Confirm the commodity code from the scientific species, whole or cut form, shell status, cooking method and intended processing. Do not choose a processing line merely because the buyer is a restaurant. For the wider heading, see our frozen shrimp and crayfish guide.

Specify species, size and usable lobster weight

Ask for the scientific species name rather than accepting 'lobster' alone. Distinguish clawed Homarus lobster from rock lobster. Specify whole animals, tails or sections; raw or cooked; shell-on or shell-off; individual weight grade; and whether missing claws or broken shells are acceptable.

Agree net product weight after removing glaze, the glaze measurement method, freezing method, pack format and declared treatments. Compare a thawed sample for meat firmness, flavour, tail fill and cooking consistency. Keep the approved sample and written acceptance criteria for the shipment inspection.

Check the Chinese establishment's approval before ordering. Ask for the health and catch documentation alongside the species and batch records. Use factory verification to check the producer and its actual freezing and packing operations.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 tonnes of frozen whole cooked American lobster under 0306 12 10 10, invoiced at £60,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £61,500. Duty at 6% is £3,690. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £65,190, so it is £13,038. Import taxes total £16,728; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £3,690 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 size: compare species records, whole or tail form and individual weights with the order; check claw completeness and broken shells.

Net weight and glaze: deglaze samples from different cartons and compare drained product weight with the declared net weight, which must exclude glaze.

Temperature and condition: check core temperature against the agreed frozen specification, review transport records and look for freezer burn, thawing, crushed packs and dry or soft meat.

Labels and documents: match batch details across cartons, certificates and packing lists; check English labels, allergens, declared additives, storage instructions and the UK address. See our inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A supplier uses 'lobster' for different species or sends tail portions against a whole-animal specification. Heavy glaze reduces usable yield, missing claws undermine presentation, and inconsistent cooking leaves dry meat. Photograph defects and record deglazed weights against the agreed acceptance criteria.

Border problems arise when the establishment is not approved or health and catch documents do not match the shipment. Confirm the import route before paying for production, then compare the final documents with the packed goods 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.