Sourcing frozen sea cucumbers from China

10% duty on frozen sea cucumbers

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0308 covers aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs. Frozen sea cucumbers fall under 0308 12 00 00, carrying 10% duty for goods from China. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension is recorded. The table shows buying forms within the same frozen sea cucumber line, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.

The frozen line carries veterinary, CITES import and export, illegal fishing and organic import controls. For Great Britain, arrange advance notification through the import of products, animals, food and feed system and use a border control post approved for the commodity. Ask your broker to confirm the Common Health Entry Document and applicable health documentation. The tariff attaches illegal fishing controls; confirm catch-certificate applicability and the fry-or-larvae aquaculture exemption with your broker.

Confirm the code from the scientific species, frozen condition and processing description using our commodity code guide. Ask your broker to classify cooked, seasoned or otherwise prepared products separately. For the wider sea cucumber range, see dried sea cucumbers. Confirm Northern Ireland arrangements separately.

Specify cleaned form, glaze and thawed texture

Specify the scientific species, farmed or wild origin, whole or cut form, cleaning method and size grade. Describe any cooking, soaking, salt treatment or additives. Agree block or individual freezing, pack format, usable weight after removing glaze, and the thawing method used to assess texture. Compare samples after the preparation your kitchen or customer will actually use.

Check approval for the exact product, exporting country and establishment before ordering. China-specific safeguards prohibit animal-origin imports unless the product is on the permitted list and meets applicable additional conditions. Ask the port health authority to confirm eligibility for the proposed frozen sea cucumber and any extra conditions associated with its production method.

Health certification depends on the import risk category; medium-risk fishery products need a health certificate. Confirm the category and documents before loading. For organic food from China entering Great Britain, confirm certificate-of-inspection requirements for each consignment with your organic control body. Check the scientific species with APHA for CITES documents; species in the protected annex categories require permits.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative hypothetical order: 2 tonnes of frozen sea cucumbers under 0308 12 00 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 10% is £1,750. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £19,250, so it is £3,850. Import taxes total £5,600; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,750 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: match the scientific species, cleaning and cutting description, batch markings and factory details across the sample, cartons and shipping documents.

Usable weight: remove glaze using the agreed method, drain and weigh samples, and compare size grade and broken pieces with the approved sample.

Frozen condition: review transport temperature records and arrival temperature against the agreed specification; inspect seals, freezer burn and signs of thawing.

Preparation and packs: thaw and prepare samples consistently, checking sand, remaining gut material, salt and texture; compare ingredient information and storage instructions with the agreed pack artwork.

What goes wrong

Heavy glaze can conceal a shortfall in usable sea cucumber. Uneven cleaning leaves sand or gut material, while inconsistent soaking or processing changes salt, size and texture. Thawing damage may leave flesh soft or fragmented. Keep an approved prepared sample and a written weighing and preparation method. Our inspection guide explains how to organise checks.

A supplier's general seafood approval can be mistaken for approval of the exact sea cucumber product. Resolve discrepancies between species names, factory details, certificate descriptions and carton markings before shipment. Include approval and document checks in factory verification, alongside the supplier's cleaning, freezing and packing capability.

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.