Sourcing Frozen Sea Squirts from China
The frozen sea squirt line carries 10% UK duty from China, within heading 0308's 0% to 10% range. However, frozen sea squirts for human consumption cannot legally be imported from China into Great Britain because China lacks approval for tunicates. Cambridge China Bridge checks whether a product can be imported before any order is placed.
10% duty does not establish import permission
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0308 covers aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs. Unseasoned frozen sea squirts fall within the other frozen line, 0308 90 50 00, carrying 10% duty for Chinese-origin goods. The supplied data records no anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension on that line. The table repeats this line for different purchase forms, rather than identifying separate tariff subdivisions.
The tariff attaches veterinary, organic, illegal fishing and CITES import and export controls. Ask your customs broker to confirm the attached requirements for sea squirts, including the Common Health Entry Document, catch-certificate applicability and any aquaculture exemption. For organic food from China, confirm any certificate-of-inspection requirements with the relevant authority before shipment. Confirm protected-species documents with APHA. These procedures do not overcome China's lack of approval for food tunicates.
Confirm the scientific species, frozen condition and processing with your broker using our commodity code guide. Have cooked, seasoned or otherwise prepared products checked separately. See aquatic invertebrates for the wider heading. This guide addresses Great Britain; confirm Northern Ireland arrangements separately.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen sea squirts, whole and unseasoned | 0308 90 50 00 | 10% | None |
Specify species, edible yield and freezing form
Do not place a China-origin food order for Great Britain: sea squirts are tunicates, and China is not an approved source for this category. A supplier's general seafood approval does not establish approval for sea squirts. Ask the port health authority to review the exact species, origin and product description before discussing an alternative supply.
For an alternative lawful supply, specify the scientific species, whole animal or extracted meat, removal of the outer tunic and gut contents, size grade, cuts, individual or block freezing, glaze and usable weight after thawing. Agree colour, firmness, odour, drip loss and intended cooking method against a reference sample. The worked figures are illustrative arithmetic only and do not represent an importable China-origin food order.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative calculation only: 2 tonnes of frozen sea squirts; this is not a lawful China-to-Great-Britain food order under 0308 90 50 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: for a lawful supply, match species, origin, processor and batch markings across packs and documents. Food businesses must keep traceability records.
Edible yield: thaw and drain samples using the agreed method; compare usable meat, retained tunic, gut material and glaze with the specification.
Frozen condition: examine seals, freezer burn, large ice deposits and signs of thawing; review transport temperature records against the agreed storage specification.
Preparation: check cleaned surfaces for grit and foreign matter, then compare colour, firmness and drip loss after the agreed preparation. Plan checks with our inspection guide.
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What goes wrong
The main mistake is treating a tariff code, duty payment or a factory's approval for other seafood as permission to import food sea squirts from China. China is not approved for this category. Resolve eligibility before ordering; inspection cannot replace that check.
For lawful supplies, whole-animal weight can obscure a poor meat yield, while glaze and thawing losses can reduce the usable quantity further. Incomplete cleaning leaves tough tunic or gut material. Agree a thawing and draining method and retain a reference sample before comparing offers.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on frozen sea squirts from China?
The supplied tariff line 0308 90 50 00 carries 10%, with no recorded trade remedy or suspension. That rate does not permit food imports from an unapproved country.
Can I import frozen sea squirts from China for food?
No, not into Great Britain. Sea squirts are tunicates, and China is not an approved source for this food category.
Does a Chinese factory's seafood approval cover sea squirts?
Do not assume so. Approval must cover the exact commodity and establishment. General seafood approval does not overcome the country restriction for tunicates.
How should I compare frozen sea squirt specifications?
Compare scientific species, whole or cleaned meat, tunic and gut removal, freezing form, glaze, usable thawed weight and firmness after preparation. Establish a lawful supply before ordering.